Henrietta Rushwaya arrested, again!

Zim Now Writer

Zimbabwe Miners Federation president, Henrietta Rushwaya was yesterday arrested again, this time in connection with a mining deal.

Although they confirmed the arrest, police said they would not divulge any more details until Rushwaya appears in court.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest.

“We can confirm that Henrietta Rushwaya is assisting police with investigations following a report made by a certain complainant in relation to a purported mining transaction. So far investigations are in progress and these are the details we can release as of now,” he said.

Rushwaya was in November last year fined US$5 000 following her conviction for trying to smuggle 6kg of gold worth over US$333 000 to Dubai n 2020.

She denied that she had intended to smuggle the gold, claiming she mistakenly picked up the wrong bag at home, one containing gold bars instead of the one she meant to take on her trip, a defence which the courts dismissed as implausible.

On top of the wholly suspended 18-month jail term, Rushwaya was also ordered to pay a US$5 000 fine (or 12 months).

The jail term was suspended for three years on condition she did not commit a similar offence within the stipulated time.

The prosecution case was built on the evidence that Rushwaya was caught with the gold in her bag as she was leaving the country and that she failed to provide a valid export permit and presented a fake invoice and packing list from a company called Ali Japan 786 (Pvt) Limited, at the time of her arrest.

In August 2022, Rushwaya had been cleared of charges of offering a bribe to an airport official to allow her to travel out of the country with 6kg of gold in October 2020.