29kg Marange diamonds vanish

Written by Staff reporters and Earth Times (USA)

Monday, 08 February 2010 17:10

HARARE - A 29 kilogram consignment of diamonds from Zimbabwe's controversial Chiadzwa diamond field has disappeared after being removed last Thursday night by police from the central bank, in apparent violation of orders by the country's Supreme Court, lawyers said at the weekend. (Pictured: Mines Minister Obert Mpofu – Ordered removal of diamonds)
Our sources said the diamonds were removed from the central bank on the orders of Mines Minister Obert Mpofu. The incident is the latest turn in the long-running legal dispute between British-registered mining company African Consolidated Resources and the country's mines minister, Obert Mpofu, over the ownership of Chiadzwa claims in eastern Zimbabwe. ACR was forced off its property at gunpoint by police in 2006, but in September last year a high court judge ruled that its ejection was illegal and that it was the rightful owner. The government has appealed.
Geologists say Chiadzwa is the world's biggest diamond discovery in a century and could yield more than a billion US dollars annually to the country struggling to emerge from economic collapse. The missing rough diamonds held in three strong boxes were part of a much larger collection of diamonds that were mined by ACR before they were evicted, and afterwards by the bankrupt state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) until late last year. Chief justice Godfrey Chidyausiku a fortnight ago ordered that they be deposited in the central bank for safekeeping until the case was finalised. "We don't know where they (the diamonds) are," said ACR's lawyer, Jonathan Samkange.
Last Thursday, officials from the government, ACR and the central bank were recording the details of the diamonds to be moved to the bank when Minister Mpofu walked in with his lawyer, said an official who was present but asked not to be named. "He produced this letter from the registrar of the Supreme Court in which she said that the chief justice had suspended the September ruling, and that we couldn't move the diamonds," the witness said. "But the deputy sheriff (of Harare, responsible for carrying out the chief justice's order) stood his ground and Mpofu stormed out."
The three strongboxes were carried in a heavy security vehicle under escort of senior police to the central bank and were being registered shortly before being placed in the bank vaults. "Then the senior policeman started getting phone calls," the witness said. "Then he said, There have been new developments. The letter is genuine. I am taking the diamonds'."
Despite the protests of the officials, police removed the boxes. "The police robbed the central bank," ACR lawyer Samkange accused. He said the letter from Supreme Court registrar Nomonde Mazabane was "illegal" because court officials cannot give rulings on behalf of judges.
Contacted of comment Mpofu said he did not know where the diamonds had been moved but implied they could be with the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe which he said was the only body authorized to keep diamonds. Mpofu said: “The only authority licenced to keep diamonds in Zimbabwe – even recognised by the Kimberely Certification Process Scheme (KPCS) is the MMCZ. I do not even know where the diamonds are kept. “If there are any diamonds mined in Zimbabwe – including those ACR (Samkange) is talking about, their place of safekeeping is a baby of MMCZ. Not ACR, even the RBZ is not licensed to keep them.”

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