The former President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe has revealed that his claim in 2016 that $15 billion diamond revenue had gone missing was “all lies”, according to media reports.
The 94 year old was to be summoned by the country’s parliament to testify in an ongoing investigation into the said missing revenue from diamond mining.
A committee in Zimbabwe’s parliament announced that the former leader would be needed to provide some details on the missing revenue.
Mr. Mugabe had claimed in 2016 that the country lost $15 billion in income from diamonds due to corruption and foreign exploitation.
But Mugabe’s own regime has been accused of siphoning off diamond profits.
Mugabe told the privately owned Zimbabwe Independent that the “whole $15bn loot was an urban legend that had no factual basis”.
“It was just a figure. I was given that by some officials, that figure had been circulating around, but really it was not confirmed; it was just a story and there was that figure involved,” Mugabe was quoted as saying.
The exact date for Mr. Mugabe to testify has not been provided. Robert Mugabe was forced to resign from power in 2017 after a military takeover haven ruled the country for decades.
He was succeeded by Emmerson Mnangagwa who has vowed to restore the economic fortunes of the Southern African country.
Source: Africafeeds.com
