HARARE,- The Zimbabwe Republic Police have confirmed the apprehension of Neville Sunungurai Mutsvangwa, alongside two other suspects, for their alleged involvement in unlawful trading of cash.
Neville, aged 44, is notably the son of Monica Mutsvangwa, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, and Christopher Mutsvangwa, a prominent ZANU PF spokesperson and former Zimbabwe Ambassador to China.
National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, in a statement released on Thursday evening, disclosed that Mutsvangwa, along with Elias Majachani (45) and Simbarashe Tichingana (38), is slated to appear in court on May 10, 2024.
The arrests were made under the charges of contravening Section 14 (1) of the Bank Use Promotion and Suppression of Money Laundering Act, Chapter 24:24, as per the official statement from the police.
According to reports, Neville was apprehended at his residence in Mt Pleasant, Harare, on Wednesday by detectives from the CID commercial crimes unit. This incident marks not the first time Neville Mutsvangwa has been embroiled in controversy.
Previously, he faced allegations of sexual offenses, including rape accusations in Harare and attempted rape in Mutare, although he was never convicted of these charges.
In 2019, Neville came under scrutiny when police raided his office at 3 Sanfenand Flats on Fife Avenue in Harare, where illegal foreign currency transactions were purportedly taking place. During the raid, detectives uncovered a sum of US$200,000.
However, it was reported that four detectives allegedly collaborated with Mutsvangwa’s employees to seize only US$40,000, significantly under-declaring the amount found.
Further investigations into this matter resulted in the arrest of the four detectives on charges of theft, accused of misappropriating US$20,000 of the confiscated money.
Adding to his legal woes, Neville was recently implicated in allegedly violating government policy by selling Starlink units in Zimbabwe, despite a ban imposed by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).
The arrest of Neville Mutsvangwa and his associates underscores the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to curb illicit financial activities and uphold regulatory compliance within the country.
