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Mpiranya not in Zimbabwe: Immigration

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Rwandan fugitive, Protais Mpiranya, whose head carries a $5 million bounty is not in Zimbabwe, immigration officials told Parliament yesterday. Clemence Masanga, a principal director in the Immigration Department, told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs reports Mpiranya could be hiding in Zimbabwe were not true. The committee is chaired by MDC-T […]

Rwandan fugitive, Protais Mpiranya, whose head carries a $5 million bounty is not in Zimbabwe, immigration officials told Parliament yesterday.

Clemence Masanga, a principal director in the Immigration Department, told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs reports Mpiranya could be hiding in Zimbabwe were not true.

The committee is chaired by MDC-T MP for Glen View South, Paul Madzore.

Masanga had been summoned to Parliament to answer questions on the deportation of Zimbabweans from South Africa and Botswana as well as other immigration issues.

Nyanga North MP, Douglas Mwonzora, asked Masanga to explain whether allegations that Mpiranya might be hiding somewhere in Zimbabwe were true. “Yes, this has been a topical issue in and outside the country, but all efforts have been made to check all these allegations,” Masanga said.

“We have no records within our system about this person and the only refugee holding centre in our country is Tongogara Camp and everyone who is at that camp is documented.”

Masanga said his department had been working closely with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and Interpol to investigate Mpiranya’s whereabouts.

“Interpol have written to us and enquired through our national police force structures about Mpiranya, investigations have been carried out and this person has not been found.

“Police have said investigations were still underway, but have not been able to find him in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Mpiranya has been accused of crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Some of the crimes include war crimes and conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide or alternatively complicity in genocide.

According to the Hague Justice Portal, Mpiranya was commander of the Presidential Guard Battalion in 1994 and during that time he exercised authority over various units of this battalion.

Mpiranya had been suspected to be in Zimbabwe because of allegations he enjoyed business links with former army officers close to President Robert Mugabe.