Four Cameroonians arrested on charges of bribery and contravening the Birth and Death Registration Act will further languish in jail after their application challenging placement on remand was dismissed.
The four are Duma Ebako Christiana Boyombe (39), Yvette Kum Noam (24), Marvel Ngeyi Tegha (28) and Emile Muya Muya (23).
They were remanded in custody to November 13, pending finalization of investigations.
According to the state, the four allegedly falsified information to acquire Zimbabwean birth certificates and passports.
It is alleged that between July 7 and September 16, 2024, the four sent US$3,200 from Cameroon through Western Union to bribe Registrar General Department employees.
They allegedly collaborated with Tafadzwa Chiundiza, a Zimbabwean currently on remand, to facilitate the bribe.
“Chiundiza, along with Leona Patience Funga and another individual known only as Jeff, paid US$440 to Tawanda Wanira, a Mount Darwin Registrar General Department employee, to process fraudulent birth certificates for the four Cameroonians.
“The certificates bore Zimbabwean names – Christiana Mhereyenyoka, Marvel Chimbwanda, Yvette Maini, and Emile Chingwaru with non-existent parents,” the court heard.
The money was transferred into Wanira’s Ecocash account through agent Obert Mutandi, who then gave $90 to Mike Kudzai Chikumba and Titos Mutandwa for processing identity documents at Epworth Sub-Office in Harare.
Using these fraudulent documents, the four applied for Zimbabwean passports at the Registrar General Department in Harare on September 17 and received them on September 19.
The matter came to light when they were arrested at Beitbridge border post intending to travel to South Africa.
While challenging their placement on remand the four insisted that they were unlawfully before the court as they were already convicted by a Beitbridge magistrate and now awaiting deportation.
They also argued that there was unnecessary splitting of charges.
The presiding magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa dismissed their application ruling that the offences were different, with different intentions and elements.
