Zimbabwe's biggest scandal?

Has Mutapa sovereign wealth fund just paid $1.6bn (5% GDP, more than health & education budgets combined) - to mystery shareholders recently connected to Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a presidential advisor accused of corruption? #WhoGotPaidWhat ?

🧵1/ In the last few months, Zimbabwe's public debt has jumped by $3bn from $17.69 bn to $21 bn. Treasury Bills (TBs) equiv of 8% of GDP have been issued says the IMF. Sources say $900m went to RBZ, $1.9bn to Mutapa Investment Fund for 'recapitalisation.'


2/imf.org/en/News/Articl…

Zimbabwe's secret police - the CIO - run businesses involved in hemp, coal mining, solar energy, tourism and golf. In the past they've farmed mushrooms, exported baby elephants & mined diamonds.

🧵on how we did this open source investigation

1/

thesentry.org/reports/cio-bu… It began with a mistake by Zim's ex spy boss (first noticed by Global Witness). At a 2017 parliamentary hearing into diamond firms, Kusena and Sino Zim, he left his briefing papers on display, showing the name of a CIO holding company, Chapel Mining.

2/

Zimbabwe: Vice President Chiwenga's 'de facto investment manager' is revealed as involved in a second massive mining deal: this time platinum.

Lishon Chipango is a director of two of Chiwenga's property holding companies, including the firm that owned Chiwenga's mansion. 🧵 2/ In 2017 Chipango was director of a firm, alongside someone reported to be Chiwenga's niece, that rcvd $2m from African Chrome Fields (ACF) after a chrome deal in which Kudakwashe Tagwirei's firm Sakunda paid Zunaid Moti's firms $120m for 30% of ACF.

https://twitter.com/TheSentry_Org/status/1651937947032363009?s=20

New Zimbabwe report into Sotic International, Tagwirei's Mauritius front company, jointly between @TheSentry_Org and @OpenSecretsZA .

But why is Sotic important?
Tl;dr This was not a normal firm.
🧵

thesentry.org/reports/fronts… 1/ Foreign minister, General SB Moyo forwarded Sotic's proposals for a pre-financing deal to NOIC, Zim's state owned oil pipeline entity; contract already signed by the RBZ Governor. (At this point Sotic is ostensibly a Mauritius commodity trading firm owned by South Africans.)

Thirty years ago, right about now, Margaret Thatcher realised she had to resign. A declassified memo by Andrew Turnbull, her PPS at the time, released earlier this year (and largely overlooked because of the pandemic) tells the story. The poll tax was toxic. Chancellor Nigel Lawson and DPM Geoffrey Howe resigned, partly over Europe (the ERM). And her highhandedness appalled her cabinet colleagues, both friend and foe. Chris Patten recalled "equal opportunities abuse of her colleagues." bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b0…

Was money from diamonds used to influence votes in Zimbabwe’s 2013 election?

THREAD 1/20

globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/c… Happyton Bonyongwe (left) was head of Zimbabwe’s feared Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).

2/

Where is the Assad / Makhlouf family money?

AKA #Syria citizens' money.

Global Witness investigation by @IKoshiw and colleagues featured in Financial Times today.

THREAD 1/11 We can reveal that Hafez Makhlouf, Assad's cousin, and former head of one of the feared branches of the Syrian secret police, owns apartments & offices in a prestigious Moscow skyscraper complex.

#Russia

(Hafez Makhlouf's image courtesy of ICIJ.)

2/

What's the link btwn controversial Trump border wall firm Fisher Sand & Gravel, reportedly favored by Trump & equally controversial public affairs outfit Definers / America Rising / NTK - known for aggressive tactics & accused of fake news?

Thread 1/15

globalwitness.org/en-gb/blog/beh… 2/ Spotted first by @kyleehmke - Definers seem to use the same Google analytics code for many of their websites for related entities and their clients.

Tl;dr - The same tracking code pops up in the new website for Fisher Sand & Gravel.

https://twitter.com/kyleehmke/status/1065411911045574656