Zvikomborero Parafini
A DRIVER employed by the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company was dragged to court over the weekend accused of intimidating the company’s CEO masquerading as an intelligence officer.
Cosmas Kazuzu, 45, was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi over the weekend.
Allegations are that on August 5, Kazuzu contacted Dr Douglas Zimbango, who is ZCDC CEO.
Kazuzu masqueraded as an intelligence officer and threatened Zimbango that he had a document which was incriminating him for theft and fraud, committed at his workplace, involving diamonds.
During the conversation, Kazuzu allegedly coerced Zimbango to withdraw disciplinary charges against the company’s Human Resources Manager Lavet Wadawarewa.
On August 12, Kazuzu sent a text message to Zimbango threatening him with dismissal from his position if he does not drop the disciplinary charges against Lavet Wadawarewa.
The message read “Halo Sir” ndaida kutaura nemwi, hino madzima phone yenyu.
“Kususpend Wada kwemakaita zvinoreva kuti mune munhu wemurikuda kupa post yehuChief HR.
“Hino isu tinokuyambirayi kuti munhu wenyu iyeye wamuri kuda kupa post iyoyo mukadzi, munaona kuruza mabasa. Ndati ndikuyambireyi zvenyu nekuti tichazozviteererawo pamberi apo. Ndatenda. Matinyadze”.
It is the State’s case that on August 16, Kazuzu contacted Elias Mvere, the Chief Security Officer at ZCDC, and identified himself as Matinyadze from the Vice President’s Office.
He revealed that he had called him to try and understand the position on the suspension of Wadawarewa from his duties and his pending disciplinary case.
During the conversation, Kazuzu toldMvere that he was in possession of a document which outlined some criminal activities happening at ZCDC, involving the CEO and other senior managers.
He told him that he intended to take the document to higher authorities if Zimbango did not withdraw the disciplinary charges against Wadawarewa.
Kazuzu sent a document to Mvere, which allegedly had allegations of theft and fraud against the CEO, and other senior managers at ZCDC, involving diamonds.
After the continued harassment, Zimbango filed a police report which outed Kazuzu and led to his arrest.