Zimbabwean Man Arrested in Portugal Over US$700K Govt Fuel Scam
A Zimbabwean businessman has been arrested in Portugal over allegations he siphoned over a million litres of fuel intended for a government ministry, police said on Friday.
Interpol Arrests Zimbabwean Over US$700K Govt Fuel Scam
According to a statement released on Friday by police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi, Tawanda Hairwadzi (43) was arrested on 9 July 2025 after being placed on an Interpol Red Notice.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of Tawanda Hairwadzi (43) on 09 July 2025 in Portugal in connection with a case of Theft of Trust Property,” part of the statement reads.
Hairwadzi and his wife, Shungu Mwashaireni Hairwadzi, co-own Eptha Energy (Pvt) Ltd, a company that was hired by fuel supplier Addax Energy to deliver two million litres of fuel to a government ministry in 2021.
Fuel Meant for Government Disappears
Nyathi explained that between August and November 2021, Addax Energy released 1,040,000 litres of fuel to Eptha Energy, expecting to receive US$743,600 from the government. However, the payment never came. Further investigations showed that Eptha Energy never delivered the fuel and had quietly shut down operations.
A police report was filed in September 2022 when it became clear that Hairwadzi had fled the country. Authorities escalated the case internationally, which eventually led to his arrest in Portugal this month.
Nyathi confirmed that extradition proceedings are underway and more details will be released in due course.
“The extradition process is underway. More details will be released in due course,” Nyathi said.
— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) July 11, 2025
Zimbos React As Zimbabwean is Arrested in Portugal
After police shared the update on X (formerly Twitter), the public responded with a mix of sarcasm, mockery, and disbelief. Many were amused by the scale of the alleged scam and how far the suspect got before being caught.
Here are some of the reactions:
@Tonderai_Matty:
He hoped for the usual incompetence in the government ministries of paying for what wasn’t received.
@rnyami:
Dude didn’t know about Extradition!
Now he’s gonna compose a hit song whilst in ‘D Class’!
@manu_sithole:
He tried. Pakutoda research svinu apa kuti totizira kupi
@mrdamba26334793:
He deserves a documentary or even chimovie chaicho
the true definition of mhosva hairovi
pic.twitter.com/XPgDkNqHUj
— ManFromNyasaland (@PhiriTofara) July 11, 2025
Follow Us on Google News for Immediate Updates
The post Zimbabwean Man Arrested in Portugal Over US$700K Govt Fuel Scam appeared first on iHarare News.
