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Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 9:46 PM
Subject: Embattled business executives scramble for visas 


Embattled business executives scramble for visas 



Sunday Mail Reporters 
SOME local business executives who are believed to be involved in illegal financial dealings are now in a hurry to leave the country following the current shake-up in the financial sector which has seen the arrest of top business people. 

Sources in the financial services sector confirmed last week that the executives were trying to flee to the United Kingdom before the police begin investigating their dealings. 

Investigations conducted by The Sunday Mail also revealed that some executives were now seeking urgent visa applications to the UK. 

According to figures made available by the British Embassy, the number of visa applicants increased from 4 159 in January and February last year to 4 247 during the same period this year. 

The embassy also received just less than 5 000 applications between November and December last year, which was the busiest period. 

The embassy spokesperson, Ms Sophie Honey, said people wishing to travel to the UK on business for short periods apply for the visitor’s visa. 

Although Ms Honey said the embassy does not have a specific category to cater for business executives, she confirmed that the majority of the 1 700 applications received last month were for visitors’ visas. 

It is understood that most of the executives apply for the visas which are valid for about six months with the intention to extend their visit. 

The UK is also understood to be a convenient destination for the escapees as they expect to get protection from the British government, which is hostile to Zimbabwe. 

The British government is believed to be willing to turn a blind eye to fugitives who would have helped it in its bid to sabotage the Zimbabwean economy with a view to effecting a regime change. 

The Government and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe are currently on a massive anti-corruption drive. The drive has seen some of the country’s business heavyweights being arrested. 

Police are pursuing four NMB Bank executives — Julius Makoni, James Mushore, Francis Zimuto and Otto Chekeche — whom they accuse of operating a money transfer facility without a licence. 

Police allege that the executives set up a money transfer company in the UK named LTB, which they used to mop up foreign currency from Zimbabweans working in that country. 

The executives are believed to have fled to the UK after police started their investigations. There is growing concern that more businesspeople likely to face prosecution for externalising foreign currency might bolt before the police pounce on them. Yesterday a spokesperson for Kingdom Financial Holdings denied that its deputy chairman and founder, Nigel Chanakira, was on the run. 

A weekly paper, The Tribune, had quoted Chanakira as confirming that he was fleeing from the police. The same paper also published a letter written by NMB Bank chief executive Julius Makoni to Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono complaining about the investigation into the directors and NMB’s dealings with a money transfer company, LTB. 

Makoni also says in his letter that besides NMB Bank, LTB traded with Interfin, Kingdom and Century Bank. He claims in the letter their relationship with LTB was meant to encourage Zimbabweans to remit money to Zimbabwe through authorised means as opposed to informal means. 

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena yesterday said the police could not prohibit people from travelling. He said little could be done since there was no evidence implicating the visa applicants. 

"People are free to travel as they wish but if we have cases against them, we normally keep their travel documents. 

"If we do not get to know about the cases, then they will get away with it. However, if we have a case against them, we will be able to chase them down," said Assistant Commissioner Budzijena. 

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