A Zimbabwean court has freed two geologists employed by ALROSA who were arrested for illegally prospecting for gold in the Nyanga National Park and washing the ore in Nyangombe River.
The duo, Tension Hlatini (36) and Igor Shmakov (49) were only freed after a full trial in which the State failed to provide enough evidence to incriminate the geologists, according to New Zimbabwe.com.
Nyanga national Park Image credit: zimparks.org
Hlatini and Shmakov were arrested by a Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority ranger on January 3.
They were washing gold ore at a section of Nyangombe River within the Nyanga national park.
The ranger asked them to produce prospecting licences, but they failed to do so, which led to their arrest.
They were charged with prospecting for gold without a licence, but the case against them collapsed after the State failed to prove their guilt.
ALROSA and the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), a State-owned diamond mining company, entered into an agreement last December to create a joint venture to prospect and explore for primary diamond deposits in Zimbabwe.
ALROSA owns 70% of the project while ZCDC controls the remaining 30% stake.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
