Tagwirei responds to graft allegations by US probe units

Zim Now Writer

Presidential advisor and businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei is unmoved by allegations levelled against him accusing him of using his relationships with the highest political office to gain state contracts and receive favoured access to hard currency.

According to an investigation unit’s exposé, Tagwirei stands accused of using fronts and fake invoices to buy nickel and gold mines with a combined value of R431 million in 2019.

Two US investigation units, The Sentry and Open Secrets, released a report titled “Fronts, Fakes, and Façades: How South African and Mauritian Enablers Helped Move Millions from Zimbabwe to Britain”.

In response to the allegations, Tagwirei said: “I know that you already know that I don’t comment on such distractions.”

In 2020, the US imposed sanctions on Tagwirei who they referred to as “a notoriously corrupt Zimbabwean businessman”.

The sanctions were for “materially assisting senior Zimbabwean government officials involved in public corruption”.

According to The Sentry and Open Secrets, he moved suspicious funds from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe using fronts, false invoices, and offshore financial façades.

This the report alleged, was done with enablers from South African company directors, a Mauritian management company agent and a Cayman Islands investment fund.