A joint investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, BBC Panorama and the University of Bath reveals British American Tobacco was linked to a conspiracy to pay a bribe of between $300 000 and $500 000 to get certain people released from jail.
A contractor hired by one of Britain’s biggest companies brokered a proposed corrupt pay-off for Robert Mugabe shortly before his 2013 re-election. and the University of Bath reveals British American Tobacco was linked to a conspiracy to pay a bribe of between $300 000 and $500 000 to the notorious dictator to get certain people released from jail.
It was forced to rely on a local security company to do its dirty work. But in late 2012 three directors of that company were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. The documents show that a plan was hatched with BAT’s knowledge to get the directors off the hook and protect BAT’s name.
A leaked document claims that during that meeting, between the FSS boss Stephen Botha and Tapfumaneyi, the brigadier said that “with the upcoming elections” a donation to Mugabe’s political party “would pave the way for negotiations to continue”. This would “open the doors to continue this project in the near future”.
The arrested agents were released in early January 2013 immediately after Tapfumaneyi proposed their release as a “goodwill gesture” prior to any bribe being paid. The agent who had brokered the meeting claims it would be “fantasy land” to suggest FSS was able to continue its operations in Zimbabwe without paying a bribe to Mugabe. : “Robert Mugabe killed 30 000 Zimbabweans in a genocide. Absolutely beaten, destroyed, the soul of a nation ripped from itself.
Dumisani Muleya, editor of Zimbabwean investigative outlet News Hawks, said: “The context of this donation is the problem because BAT was seeking some favours from the government. I would call it bribery, corruption and hush money.
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