The law has finally caught up with the slippery Francesco Marconati, a man whose penchant for drama is rivaled only by his blatant disregard for the Zimbabwean justice system.
After a pathetic, two-day stint shivering inside a dark mine shaft like a cornered rat, the 66-year-old “businessman” was finally apprehended in Harare this Friday.
He is set to appear in court this morning and likely to spend a long time in jail.
Marconati’s desperate attempt to evade a 10-day manhunt ended not with a bang, but with a whimper.
In a move straight out of a low-budget heist flick, he reportedly sneaked out of the Duration Gold Limited (DGL) 5 Mine via a weighbridge, scurrying into a getaway Honda Fit to bypass police officers who were patiently waiting for him at the main gate.
Marconati isn’t just a fugitive; he’s an accused corporate pirate.
His latest arrest stems from a brazen, illegal takeover of DGL 5 Mine.
Alongside his Australian accomplice, Mark Andrew Hughes who has since fled the country to South Africa like a coward Marconati is accused of orchestrating a fraudulent re-registration of the mine.
According to affidavits from legitimate directors Yan Bo and Ke Wang, Marconati and Hughes unilaterally scrubbed the legal leadership from the books, appointing themselves as the sole directors. This “hostile takeover” wasn’t just unethical; it was a middle finger to the High Court. Marconati allegedly ignored pending legal battles and failed court orders, choosing instead to simply steal the company on paper.
The local community in Inyathi has reached its breaking point.
For months, villagers have attempted to protest against Marconati’s reign of terror and the fatal shooting linked to his security detail.
Each time, they’ve been blocked by police—leading to simmering accusations that the wealthy businessman has been “buying” protection from the very people meant to cuff him.
However, the “protection” seems to have expired. Marconati is expected to swap his mine shaft for a jail cell when he appears at the Harare Magistrate’s Courts this Saturday.
Whether he tries to flee in another sub-compact car remains to be seen, but for now, the curtain is closing on his career of chaos.
Source: Harare Times
