12 Employees from Registrar General Passport Offic...

12 Employees from Registrar General Passport Office Denied Bail

Munyaradzi Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

Twelve employees from the Registrar General’s Passport Office in Harare, who were arraigned on allegations of fraudulently facilitating passports for four Cameroonian nationals, have been denied bail.

Ruramai Mutyatya, 47, Maureen Natasha Munemo, 32, Chiedza Hlomani, 34, Romio Shonhiwa, 45, Marian Roman, 40, Tanaka Lisaphael Magaya, 27, Edith Moto, 38, Grace Kapungu, 34, Lackmore Chinokokora, 34, Neria Sombi, 44, Trymore Chipanga, 26, and Acid Asidi, 42, appeared before Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa at the Harare Magistrates' Court, charged with criminal abuse of office.

In her ruling, Magistrate Gofa noted that the accused posed a flight risk. The accused have been ordered to appear in court on October 17, pending the finalisation of investigations.

The complainant in the case is the Registrar General’s Passport Office, represented by Francis Mhangwa, the appointed Passport Registrar.

Mutyatya is employed as a supervisor at the Registrar General’s Passport Office, while the other eight accused work as processing officers. The final three accused are cleaners employed by Advert Private Limited, seconded to work at the Passport Office.

According to the State, represented by prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti, on September 17, 2024, an individual still at large, known only as Tafadzwa or "Mai Tayara," devised a plan to fraudulently acquire Zimbabwean passports for four Cameroonian nationals: Christiana Boyembe Dumba, Emile Muya Muya, Marvel Ngei Tegha, and Yvette Kum Nnam. None of the Cameroonians were Zimbabwean by birth, nor had they acquired Zimbabwean citizenship.

Tafadzwa had previously fraudulently obtained Zimbabwean birth certificates for the four Cameroonians from the Registrar’s Office in Mount Darwin, and Zimbabwean national identity cards from the Registrar’s Office at Market Square, Harare.

As part of her plan, Tafadzwa allegedly conspired with the three cleaners to assist the Cameroonians through each stage of the passport application process, as the Cameroonians could not speak any local languages or even pronounce the surnames listed on their newly acquired Zimbabwean identity documents.

The nine processing officers are alleged to have facilitated the issuance of the passports without verifying the information provided in the application forms against the details on the birth certificates, despite noticeable discrepancies.

On September 21, 2024, the four Cameroonians were arrested at the Beitbridge border post by Zimbabwean immigration officers while attempting to cross into South Africa using the fraudulently acquired Zimbabwean passports issued by the accused.

Christiana Boyembe Dumba was issued passport number BE259642 under the name Christiana Mhereyenyoka. Emile Muya Muya received passport number BE259641 under the name Emile Chingwaru. Marvel Ngei Tegha was issued passport number BE251567 under the name Marvel Chimbwanda, while Yvette Kum Nnam was given passport number BE259643 under the name Yvette Maini.

The case will proceed with further investigations ahead of the next court appearance on October 17, 2024.