Mpofu refuses to testify on the $15 billion diamond issue

Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu today refused to testify on the $15 billion missing diamonds issue when he appeared before the Parliamentary committee on Mines saying he would never do so as long as Temba Mliswa was presiding.

He implied there was a conflict of interest as Mliswa had travelled 600km to his home to discuss the issue with him.

When Mliswa said they were discussing ZANU-PF issues because he was a part chairman at the time, Mpofu said they were discussing the very issues that he was being asked to testify about.

Asked why he had not raised the issue with the Speaker of Parliament, Mpofu said the Speaker was also implicated.

When Mliswa said Mpofu was trying divert issues, Mpofu insisted he would never testify before Mliswa and would not state what he and Mliswa talked about.

He said he had appeared before parliamentary committees on mines before and had testified on the issue and it was not his mandate to talk about the ministry of mines which he left five years ago.

Mpofu was Mines Minister from February 2009 to September 2013.

Zimbabwe is said to have lost $15 billion worth of diamonds but some observers say this figure just came out of former President Robert Mugabe’s head.

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