President Robert Mugabe's $8 Million US Home In Hong Kong

From The Sunday TimesFebruary 15, 2009

Found: Robert Mugabe’s secret bolthole in the Far EastJon Swain, Bangkok and Michael Sheridan, Hong Kong
ZIMBABWE’S President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace have secretly bought a £4m bolt-hole in the Far East while his country struggles with hyper-inflation, mass unemployment and a cholera epidemic.

The Mugabes’ house, in an exclusive residential complex in Hong Kong, was purchased on their behalf by a middleman through a shadowy company whose registered office is in a run-down tenement block. When a reporter and a photographer called at the house last week, they were attacked by the Zimbabwean occupants. The assailants were questioned by the police.

The property came to light during a Sunday Times investigation into the Mugabes’ financial interests in Asia, where a web of associates has helped them to spend lavishly on luxuries and stash away millions in bank accounts. In Zimbabwe, meanwhile, inflation has reached 231m%, unemployment stands at 94% and 3,467 people have died in recent months from cholera.

According to sources in Zimbabwe and Asia, Grace Mugabe has splashed out £55,500 on marble statues in Vietnam and £8,700 on a handbag in Singapore. She and her husband have enjoyed some of the region’s finest hotels.

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In Hong Kong, where she has discussed a venture to have Zimbabwean diamonds cut and polished in China, her aides paid one hotel bill with a bag of cash containing £10,500.

The Hong Kong house is the first in the Far East to be identified as the Mugabes’. Last Friday two men and a woman objected violently to the arrival of this newspaper’s journalists.

The throat of Colin Galloway, a 46-year-old reporter, was gripped and bruised by a man in his thirties who lifted him off his feet. Galloway was later examined under police supervision at hospital.

Tim O’Rourke, 45, was grabbed by the neck in his second bruising encounter involving the Mugabes in Hong Kong. Last month Grace Mugabe flew at him with her fists after repeatedly punching another Sunday Times photographer in the face in an incident that attracted worldwide publicity.

Hong Kong police said last night that inquiries into a case of alleged common assault on Friday were continuing.

The disclosures about the Mugabes’ Far Eastern interests are certain to anger Zimbabweans already outraged by extravagant celebrations laid on for the dictator’s 85th birthday this week.



Have your say

And you thought it was terrible under Ian Smith's rule!

Tony Matthews, Sundbyberg, Sweden

Whats the bristish media and ruling elites obession with zimbabwe and mugabe. Fact of the the matter is, zimbabwe is a failed state with its leaders looting it for all they can, but then so is somalia, sudan, burma, north korea and a host of others.why the obsession with "Rhodesia"...history i gues

Tony Burkson, london, UK

The Mugabes are bleeding Zimbabwe dry. Not content with starving the nation, and fuelling Cholera by their inaction, they are stealing what is left of the country's forex reserves to feather their own nest ready for exile. The Hong Kong authorities must not allow this to happen.

Massimba Okono, Cape Town, South Africa

Mugabe has relied on his tribal ancestry. Post colonial Africa is just the same. Breakdown of government, greed, tribal loyalty.

jane, whittlesey, UK

It appears that our UK politicians and leaders are just as dishonest, morally inept and also without any conscience or integrity.

Not a very good stance from which to preach to the world or ensure any humanity or justice for the proletariot.

Jimmy, Bournemouth, United Kingdom

The reason, Timothy, is that the British Government overthrew a stable government to install this man.

David, Bromley,

Under NO circumstances should British tax[ayer's money go to Zimbabwe.

Dr.Stuart M. Brown, Rickmansworth, UK

Timothy, London.

Grace Mugabe is not just a wife who bought a bag. She is notorious and greed driven. Enjoying herself at the expense of her starving and diseased country. She is a criminal person who must be detained along with her genocide husband.

Colin, Carmarthen, United Kingdom

Mr. Mugabe has been spending the wealth of Zimbabwe in Hong Kong since 1980- spending 100's of thousands of HK$. He was a frequent visitor to HK. Of course they will welcome him with open arms, he's been a very loyal customer. Why the surprise? BTW;Dick Cheney's heading for Dubai! Whatever next?

NDG, Tokyo, Japan

They'll need to steal a few more farms to pay for this lot.

We should have guessed the future of this so-called Marxist when he held onto Lord Carrington's pen.

Mick Green, Birmingham, UK

Is this Hong Kong bolt hole simply a holiday/shopping villa or is it a final refuge for a vilified dictator? Either way the amorality of China is most apparent. Mr Wen, the Chinese Premier made no mention of such awkward facts during his lecture at Cambridge University!!

David , Swansea, Wales

Thank God for the investigative journalists. A good piece of work.

Why do not police and decent politicians ( are there any?) back up the newspapers, there is just so much sleaze and corruption.

If Mugabe can be caught in HK then take him straight to the Hague.

Ben Haworth, NORWICH,

When will someone stop this animal?????!!!!!!!!!!!! Better to go after Bankers I suppose...

Mark, London,

If the UK is planning a 1 billion GBP per year aid package for Zimbabwe, the UK taypayer has an interest in where this money is likely to go! We hope it will go to help the people of Zim and not where Mugabe can get his hands on it.

Ted, Notttingham , UK

Good investigative journalsm!
Keep it up.

Bob Johnson, near Kuopio, Finland

Timothy, the obsession is because this man was supported by many people of the west and east before he became the dictator of a wealthy country.
We knew that this would be the outcome but nobody believed us. Many people died to prevent this. Blacks and whites. Never forget that.

Alice, Holland,

Billy: If I recall correctly, when voting to reinforce sanctions, China and Russia... vetoed? (perhaps I'm wrong on that). In any case, I'm fairly sure the Chinese have little or no problem with Mugabe.

Tom Farmer, Swansea, UK

I thought there were sanctions on this man and family. Why did Hong kong allow him them into the country.

Billy, Bangkok, Thailand

Our obsession as a nation with one man is rather revealing. Especially when we have famine in Somalia, civil war in Darfur, civil strife in the DRC and coups in Guinea. Now are you able to name the presidents of any of these countries? Yet we know the wife of one man is alleged to have bought a bag

Timothy Wilson, London, UK


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