Businessman Ewan Macmillan, one of the alleged gold smuggling and money laundering kingpins interviewed in the Qatar-based television news network Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia documentary series, has apologized saying he made the remarks under the influence of alcohol.
This comes months after the 52-year-old merchant and several others, including Zimbabwe’s ambassador-at-large Uebert Angel, were exposed in the news network’s sting operation claiming they could launder millions of US dollars on behalf of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the government as a sanctions-busting measure.
In a brief statement yesterday, Macmillan said: “I would like to apologize to my family, friends, fellow Zimbabweans and to all those people… offended (by) my behavior and comments as shown in the recent Al Jazeera Gold Mafia series.
“I made many statements under the influence of alcohol that were boastful, untrue, derogatory and malicious that have caused harm to those around me, in business with me… industry that I had worked in… Zimbabwe banking and financial sectors, and those in important positions of authority..,” he said, adding he was “thoroughly embarrassed about the whole incident.”
While others named in the documentary have threatened to sue the Arabian broadcaster, the government initially dismissed it as a smear campaign ahead of the August 23 poll.
The government later said it was investigating the matter to clear its name. Some of the alleged perpetrators had their bank accounts briefly frozen.
In other news – Actor Julian Sands found dead after going missing on hike in January
Julian Sands, an actor best known for his breakout role as George Emerson in “A Room with a View,” has sadly been confirmed dead. He was 65. The coroner’s office said the British actor’s remains were found by hikers last week in the wilderness area where he went missing in January.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in an update Tuesday that the identification process for the body had been “completed and was positively identified” as Sands. Read More
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