Police probe ‘smuggled’ Tsvangirai luxury cars

BY PATIENCE NYANGOVE POLICE are investigating allegations that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s two official luxury vehicles that were impounded in February were smuggled into the country from South Africa, it has been confirmed. The two Prados were impounded by the police in Beitbridge and Tsvangirai’s drivers were initially charged for allegedly installing sirens and beacons on the cars. But in a dramatic turn of events Beitbridge police last week arrested Norest Murara who was sent to buy the cars by Tsvangirai. He was questioned about the smuggling allegations. Murara was not among the drivers arrested in February. Chief Superitendent Hosiah Mukombero, the officer commanding Beitbridge district confirmed the arrest on Friday but said Murara had since been released on bail. “Yes I can confirm we picked up Norest Marara in Harare and he was brought here to answer questions on how he cleared the two Prados at the border,” Marara said. “We wanted to find out how he processed the import of the cars into the country as he did not follow the required procedure when he brought the cars into the country.” Tsvangirai’s two drivers Clifford Sanyika and Joshua Mhuriyengwe were arrested on their way back from South Africa. Police said the beacon lights and sirens were for police or military escort vehicles. The case is pending. This is the second time Tsvangirai is being investigated over the importation of cars from South Africa. In the run up to the controversial June 27 2008 presidential run-off election, the MDC-T leader’s armoured BMW X5 vehicle was impounded by the police in Lupane on accusations he violated customs regulations. The vehicle donated to Tsvangirai by a South African businessman is gathering dust at the rural police post. The businessman, identified as Adrian Espag had brought the vehicle – a bullet-proof BMW X5 registered in South Africa – into Zimbabwe before handing it over to Tsvangirai. Police confiscated the vehicle from Tsvangirai claiming that in the absence of Espag it was illegal for the MDC-T leader to use it. Efforts to get a comment from Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka on the latest developments were fruitless as he was said to be in South Africa. But at the time of the two drivers’ arrest Tamborinyoka said the case was only meant to embarrass Tsvangirai.