A BULAWAYO magistrate has acquitted five accused persons who were facing charges of extortion in mining related disputes for lack of evidence.

Munyaradzi Charakupa, Tawanda Mangi, Percy Pemba, Paul Chakaingesu and Victor Jaja were found not guilty of the allegations by Bulawayo magistrate Shepard Mjanji.

The court ruled that there was no evidence to support the extortion case in which the five was accused of demanding large sums of money under threats of canceling mining licenses and using their supposed influence with high-ranking government officials.

On the charge the five allegedly extorted US$40,000 from the complainant Dumisani Dube, the Corporate Rescuer of Fools Mine on July 23, 2024.

One of the accused Jaja was also alleged to have claimed he had killed four people to instill fear in Dube. As a result, the accused were acquitted of this particular charge.

In his ruling the magistrate said: “The court has thoroughly examined the evidence presented in relation to this particular charge. Having considered the testimonies provided and the submissions made by both the prosecution and the defense, it is evident that there is no direct or corroborative evidence linking the accused to the specific allegation under count four.”

The magistrate said the complainant is using the courts to fix their personal agendas and Jaja was not present on the day in question.

The court was not happy be used by the state and complainant.

Allegations are that the accused persons impersonated members of the President’s Office, the Presidential Police Protection Unit and the Military Intelligence Department to extort over US$57 000 from Dube.

According to the State, sometime in February 2024, Mangi and Jaja approached Dube at his legal business office, introducing themselves as government operatives overseeing mining affairs. Charakupa and another accomplice, Pemba, allegedly posed as Military intelligence officers protecting the interests of the late permanent secretary in the ministry of War Veterans, Clive Mphambela.

The accused were alleged to have demanded large sums of money under threats of canceling mining licenses and using their supposed influence with high-ranking government officials.

It was prooved hat the Complainant is a pathetic lier.

It was proved that the Complainant and the one Mahamad Daka forged a general power of attorney and a board resolution which were used to place Complainant Dumisani Dube to be a coperate rescue practioner.

It was proved that the accused persons are the one who employed Complainant to be their company lawyer.

It was proved that Complainant is selling company assets using the coperate rescue practioner status.