The United States embassy in Singapore did not know what to make of reports that President Robert Mugabe was in Singapore for medical treatment.
An embassy official said he had been informed by an American resident in Singapore that he had seen Mugabe at the clinic of a radiation oncologist who confirmed that Mugabe had indeed been at the clinic.
Although Mugabe had been to Singapore on several occasions the embassy said it could not tell whether he was a medical tourist or not because the government of Singapore never confirmed, denied, or commented on stories about why Mugabe was on the island or if he ever was there.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 09SINGAPORE1254, ROBERT MUGABE REPORTEDLY IN SINGAPORE FOR MEDICAL
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|
Reference ID |
Created |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHGP #1254 3630925
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 290925Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7599
INFO RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE 0014
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 5033
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 001254
SIPDIS
EAP/MTS – M. COPPOLA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2019
SUBJECT: ROBERT MUGABE REPORTEDLY IN SINGAPORE FOR MEDICAL
TREATMENT
Classified By: CDA Joel Ehrendreich for reason 1.4(d)
¶1. (SBU) A reputable private-sector source told CDA that he
saw Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrive in the office
of a radiation oncologist at Gleneagles, a major hospital in
Singapore, on December 29. The source, an American resident
in Singapore who is a patient of the radiation oncologist,
personally observed Mugabe’s arrival at the clinic. The
source added that he asked the physician to confirm that it
was in fact Mugabe, and the physician did so. Although Post
considers this information to be credible, Post is not able
to provide independent confirmation of Mugabe’s presence in
Singapore or his reasons for being here.
¶2. (C) If Robert Mugabe is indeed in Singapore, it may not
be his first visit as a medical tourist. There have been
previous public reports of Mugabe visiting Singapore for
treatment over the past year, but none from a source whose
credibility Post could evaluate. Various, mostly on-line,
sources have claimed that Mugabe came to Singapore for
prostate cancer treatment in May 2008, for treatment again in
August 2008, and for unknown reasons (possibly a family
holiday) in January 2009. The government of Singapore has
never confirmed, denied, or otherwise commented on these
stories, and if such visits took place, they were kept very
quiet.
EHRENDREICH
Visit Embassy Singapore’s Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm
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