Zim nabs Econet execs
2004-11-05 11:13
Special Report
Zimbabwe's Prime Minister and leader of the MDC, has vowed to overturn President Robert Mugabe's controversial indigenisation drive if he wins upcoming general elections.
Harare - Five senior officials from Zimbabwe's largest cellphone network, Econet Wireless, were arrested and charged with "externalising foreign currency" on Friday.
In what appears to be a police crackdown, the charges follow four similar arrests on Thursday, three from competing cellphone provider Telecel.
Police swooped on the Strive Masiyiwa-controlled Econet offices in Harare, arresting its Zimbabwe chief executive officer Douglas Mboweni.
The other arrests included executive director John Pattison and senior officials Nyasha Zhou and Anthony Eastwood.
Their arrest brings to nine the number of Zimbabwean businesspeople apprehended this week alone.
Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said all would be charged with "externalising foreign currency".
He said Mboweni would also be charged "in his own capacity as an individual" for dealing in forex.
Police claim that between March 2000 and September this year Econet bought US$1.3m on the black market and were owed over US$3m in deals not yet completed.
- SAPA
