Five Men Accused of Stealing $31,000 in Diamonds Granted Bail
Five men have been granted $150 bail each after being accused of stealing a parcel of diamonds worth $31,000 from the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport last month.
The accused include Silas Chirume, a diamonds inspector at the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), Edward Jacob Gunda, an assistant security manager at Anjin Investments stationed at the airport, Maison Phiri, an MMCZ diamond evaluator, Steven Wahita, a security supervisor at Anjin Investments, and Isaac Muripa, a police detective attached to the airport.
The group is alleged to have stolen the diamonds, which were destined for the United Arab Emirates, during the packing process on April 17. Investigations revealed that Chirume was observed on CCTV footage picking up one of the parcels and placing it in his pocket.
Chirume subsequently implicated the other four accused, telling police that they each received $4,000 after selling the stolen diamonds for $20,000 to an individual known as “Boss Guzu.” Chirume used his share to purchase a Honda Fit vehicle.
The defense lawyers argued that the buyer of the diamonds, Paolo Persico representing Erleen Gold Trading in Dubai, did not participate in the official bidding process. They also questioned why the police had not arrested Lieutenant Colonel Tapfumaneyi Mhuka and Kim Song, who signed the packing list and release order.
Only $1,000 worth of the stolen diamonds has been recovered so far. The accused were remanded to June 12 for further hearing.
