Zimbabwe’s First Lady has denied links to gold smuggling. Auxillia Mnangagwa has challenged police to produce “any incriminating evidence” against her. She said, “If there is any incriminating evidence against me, I challenge the police to present it to the nation without fear or favour,” Auxillia Mnangagwa added, “I serve the interests of my nation and… do not engage in illegal narrow-minded pursuits like gold smuggling.”

The first lady also denied illegal dealings with Henrietta Rushwaya. The BBC reports that Rushwaya   was arrested last Monday at Harare International Airport.  She had been carrying 6kg of gold in her hand luggage and was on her way to Dubai. Auxillia and son Collins were mentioned last Friday as potential owners of the six kilograms of gold found in the possession of the the leader of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation.

Mrs Mnangagwa also tried to clear her son of having links to gold smuggling, saying, “It pains me that my son who is hard-working and an obedient son, is being attacked for no reason other than being a member of the first family. He is a hard-working person and strives to improve himself day by day.” During questioning, the suspects said Collins was the person who was supposed to have exported the gold to Dubai. The first family claims their names were intentionally used in order to evade prosecution.

Police said Ms Rushwaya did not have the necessary export permits. However, she has she denied the charges. Intelligence operatives have been accused of helping her evade security checks by whisking her through the diplomatic route. But civil aviation officials intercepted the traveler and forced her to go through standard security checks that picked up the gold in her hand luggage.

The BBC reports that Zimbabwe’s Secretary for Information, Nick Mangwana, said police investigations had found the claims against the president’s family to be “false and intended to intimidate law enforcement agencies”.

Umm Muhammed Umar