A PROCESSING officer at the Harare Registrar General's Office, Chipo Matovanyika, appeared in court yesterday for allegedly assisting four Cameroonians to fraudulently acquire Zimbabwean documents.

Matovanyika (42) from Norton, is accused of stealing passports belonging to Christiana Boyembe Dumba, Emile MuyaMuya, Marvel NgeiTegha and Yvette KumNnam and handing them over to another individual, who was part of her syndicate.

Prosecutor Ms Mercy Masamvi alleged that the Cameroonians were illegally issued with Zimbabwean passports on September 19, 2022, bearing fake names.

Since the passports had been double printed by Sean Takunda Makuku, already on remand, the first four had been forwarded to the RG's Office Harare as per the norm and were stored in Matovanyika's office.

Makuku allegedly sent WhatsApp messages with passport batch numbers, names of the four Cameroonians and national identity numbers, to Matovanyika to steal the passports and hand them over to Tapiwanashe Hove.

The Cameroonians travelled to Beitbridge Border Post en route to South Africa where they were arrested by immigration officers, who recovered the four passports.

Detective Sergeant Christopher Tarenyika opposed bail, citing concerns of human trafficking and terrorist activities.

Bail ruling is set for Friday before Harare Regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje.

Ms Masamvi claims Matovanyika conspired with Hove to destroy evidence, including the original passports, which were stored in her office.

CCTV footage allegedly captures Matovanyika stealing the passports.

The RG's Passport Office, Harare, represented by Mr Francis Mhangwa, is the complainant in the matter.