Prophet Uebert Angel Caught on Camera
A comprehensive investigation into money laundering has implicated self-proclaimed prophet, Uebert Angel who has a large following and influence here in Malawi.
Henrietta Rushwaya, the niece of Zimbabwe’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has also been implicated.
The investigation by Al Jazeera Investigation Unit (I-Unit) categorises Prophet Uebert Angel as the Diplomatic Mafia on the basis of his diplomatic status. In March 2021, President Mnangagwa appointed Prophet Angel as Zimbabwe’s Ambassador-at-Large and a special presidential envoy to Europe and the Americas.
The I-Unit alleges that Prophet Uebert Angel told Al Jazeera’s undercover reporters that “he could use his diplomatic cover to carry large volumes of dirty cash into Zimbabwe as part of a laundering operation also involving gold smuggling”.
The I-Unit further allege that Prophet Angel repeatedly claimed that Mnangagwa was aware of his schemes.
“I can call the president now, not tomorrow, now and put him on speaker, it’s not an issue… We are the government”, Prophet Angel has been quoted as saying.
Prophet Angel ministers at his own church, the Good News Church. The Prophet’s right hand man, Rikki Doolan, who also ministers at Good News Church has also been fingered out.
The video Al Jazeera has published shows Prophet Uebert Angel and Henrietta Rushwaya allegedly hashing plans on how ‘clean’ dirty money.
“The money laundering plan Rushwaya outlined to our reporters involved using dirty cash to buy Zimbabwean gold — which our reporters could then sell in the international market in exchange for legitimate money. The dirty money would be flown into Zimbabwe on Angel’s plane, which would circumvent customs checks because of his diplomatic status”, reports Al Jazeera.
Rushwaya, the president’s niece is the president of Zimbabwe’s mining association.
Malawi has Gold Mafia shell companies
The money laundering syndicates while insinuating to be headquartered in Dubai, openly confesses to have bases of operation for gold and money laundering in countries like Malawi, Angola, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, “Mozambique, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC).
“Dubai is the centre for Africa. A banking centre, a financial centre. It is tax free. We have our own licence clearing at the Airport. We have permission of the central bank of Dubai. We have permission of reserve bank. We have the money laundering clearance certificates” says Kamlesh Pattni.
At the peak of Africa’s Gold Mafia and money laundering kingpin are pastors. In addition to Prophet Angel, Al Jazeera Investigation has also implicated Pastor Kamlesh Pattni and Ian Macmillan.
Pattni who is also known as Brother Paul was previously charged of money laundering in Kenya . The Kenyan-born, British national was charged of looting $600million.
“In the 1990s, Pattni’s firm Goldenberg International was at the centre of a giant scandal that robbed Kenya of $600million -10 percent of its GDP. Then President Daniel Arap Moi had allowed Pattni to export Kenyan gold at a time when the East African country was facing a western aid embargo. Instead, Pattni allegedly used his license to smuggle Congolese gold through Kenya”, reports the I-Unit.
Pattni was acquitted of all charges. He then moved his base to Zimbabwe.
The investigation implies that central banks such as the Reserve Bank of Malawi could be knee-deep in the syndicate.
Ewan Macmillan is also implicated in the scandal.
Simon Rudland, a business mogul who has distribution business partnership with Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC) was also named. He denies the allegations.
