29 Mujuru, it was pointed out, “was involved in a fight with government over the Marange diamonds as part of ACR”.120 And there was more to come. The Zimbabwe independent said the plot thickened further when it was taken into account that Mujuru’s most trusted diamond dealer, Bothwell Hlahla, had died in a car accident in Mutare a few days before the fire at Mujuru’s farmhouse. 121 The figure at the centre of Zimbabwe’s controversial mining operations is the Minister of Mines, Obert Mpofu, who entered into joint ventures with companies with “questionable records”. But, he assured members of the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy, this was normal as it was “virtually impossible to find reputable partners in the diamond industry”. 122 A controversial figure, Mpofu has been implicated in extensive fraud, including a US$2 billion diamond fraud case. In March 2010, Mpofu attracted the interest of a parliamentary committee investigating the plunder of the Chiadzwa diamond fields when he went on a massive property buying spree. 123 He owns several properties in Bulawayo including one of the tallest buildings in the city, York House. The minister also bankrolled the building of a luxury casino, owns about 27 properties in Victoria Falls and two cruise boats on the Zambezi. 124 15.1 Police involvement in illegal mining and smuggling Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted in their report, ‘Diamonds in the Rough’, that Operation Chikorokoza Chapera (November 2006) was marked by “human rights abuses by the police, as well as corruption, extortion and the smuggling of diamonds.” HRW said that “police coerced local miners to join syndicates that would provide the police with revenue from the sale of diamonds that the miners found.” 125 A police officer in Harare told HRW that “There are two different police teams operating in Marange: regular police who are based [there], and ‘reaction teams’ of rotating support units who would raid both the police and the local miners. [They] were effectively advance teams to clear the diamond 120 Zimbabwe Independent, “Mujuru allies cry ‘murder most foul’, Friday 19 August, 2011: http://www.theindependent.co.zw/local/32126-mujuru-allies-cry-murder-most-foul.html 121 Zimbabwe Independent, “Mujuru allies cry ‘murder most foul’, Friday 19 August, 2011: http://www.theindependent.co.zw/local/32126-mujuru-allies-cry-murder-most-foul.html 122 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 3: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf 123 The Standard (Zimbabwe), ‘Obert Mpofu’s property-buying spree raises eyebrows’, 27 March, 2010: http://www.thestandard.co.zw/local/23943-obert-mpofus-property-buying-spree-raises-eyebrows-.html 124 The Standard (Zimbabwe), ‘Obert Mpofu’s property-buying spree raises eyebrows’, 27 March, 2010: http://www.thestandard.co.zw/local/23943-obert-mpofus-property-buying-spree-raises-eyebrows-.html 125 Human Rights Watch, ‘Diamonds in the Rough’, June 2009, pg 19: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2009/06/26/diamonds-rough