Sunday, March 4, 2012

Fugitive Zimbabwe tycoon ‘in Kenya’



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Mr Frank Buyanga, a wealthy businessman wanted for fraud charges in Zimbabwe who is believed to be hiding in Kenya under an assumed identity. Photo/FILE
Mr Frank Buyanga, a wealthy businessman wanted for fraud charges in Zimbabwe who is believed to be hiding in Kenya under an assumed identity. Photo/FILE 
By KITSEPILE NYATHI NATION CORRESPONDENT HARARE
Posted  Sunday, March 4  2012 at  22:30
Zimbabwe is seeking the extradition of a wealthy businessman wanted for fraud charges who is believed to be hiding in Kenya under an assumed identity.
The country’s Attorney- General has also gone to court to stop the flamboyant businessman, Mr Frank Buyanga, from selling over 43 properties he seized from people who failed to pay back loans the government said were given under an illegal scheme.
Mr Buyanga advanced loans to several prominent people including government ministers on condition that they agreed to surrender their properties when they failed to repay the money.
He recently took the Minister for Transport, Mr Nicholas Goche, to the High Court after he allegedly failed to repay a $75, 000 debt.
But police said the businessman was being investigated for fraud, forgery and money laundering.
The AG’s office said it had information that Mr Buyanga was living in Kenya and had no intention of returning to Zimbabwe.
“We have no option but to seek his extradition and are preparing papers to help do that,” Mr Chris Mutangadura, a chief law officer in the AG’s officer, told the state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper. He urged the tycoon to come back to Zimbabwe “if he is not guilty”.
He said the extradition papers would be handed over to Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs which would communicate with Kenya’s authorities to facilitate Mr Buyanga’s arrest.
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Police said the businessman operated an illegal scheme. He would undervalue the properties of borrowers and make them surrender their title deeds in exchange for the loans, they said.

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