Police have arrested eight employees of the Registrar General’s department at the passport office in Harare after four Cameroonian nationals were intercepted at Beitbridge trying to enter South Africa using freshly issued Zimbabwean passports.

Romeo Shonhiwa, 44, of Eastview Phase 2 in Harare, Marrian Roman, 40, of Glaudina Park, ​Lackmore Chinokokora, 34, of Eastview Phase 4, Grace Kapungu, 35, of Glen View 1, Chiedza Hlomani, 34, of Marlbereign​, Maureen Natasha Munemo, 32, of Glen View 1, Tanaka Magaya, 28, of Sunningdale 3, and Edith Moto, 38, of Ruwa have been charged with criminal abuse of office as public officers for their roles in the issuing of the passports.

The arrests came after four citizens of Cameroon were arrested at Beitbridge with newly issued Zimbabwean passports indicating Shona names, although none of the four could speak the language.

The four suspects who are charged with fraud identified on the passports as Emile Chingwaru of Matare Village under Chief Magonde in Mount Darwin; Christiana Mhereyenyoka of Arcadia Village in Mount Darwin; Yvette Maini of New Pfura in Mount Darwin and Marvel Chimbwanda also of Mount Darwin.

Police investigations have established that the four Cameroonians were first issued with birth certificates in Mount Darwin, before they went to the registry office at Market Square in Harare where they claimed to have lost their identity documents in order to obtain replacements.

On September 17, they went to the passport office in Harare where they each paid $170 for an ordinary passport.

The passports, which should typically take seven days, were printed and collected just two days later on September 19.

Police now believe a racket involving officials from the Registrar General’s office and cleaners took large sums of cash from the four Cameroonians to facilitate the corrupt issuance of the passports.

Two general hands Neria Sombi and Trymore Chipanga, employed by Andivest, have also been spoken to by police after a review of CCTV showed them taking the suspects through the entire passport application processes.

The video footage, according to police, also shows Accused 7, Tanaka Magaya, being handed money by a woman also suspected to be part of the racket.

The Cameroonians have told investigators they paid US$1,500 each for the passports.

Police say the suspects said they intended to use the passports to enter South Africa from where they would seek passage to the United Kingdom.

Source: Zimlive