Businessman Marconati Arrested After Days on the Run

The businessman Francesco Marconati has appeared before a Harare magistrate after being arrested following a days-long effort to evade police.

The 66-year-old was brought to court on Friday morning and remanded in custody until Monday, when he is expected to apply for bail.

Prosecutors are opposing his release, arguing that he is a flight risk after allegedly breaching previous bail conditions and attempting to avoid arrest.

Marconati’s arrest followed a 10-day manhunt that ended in Harare. Police say he had been hiding at Duration Gold Limited’s (DGL) 5 Mine where he reportedly spent two days underground in a mine shaft before making a covert escape.

According to investigators, Marconati is alleged to have slipped out of the mine premises through a weighbridge area, avoiding officers stationed at the main gate before leaving in a Honda Fit vehicle.

He is facing charges linked to the alleged illegal takeover of DGL 5 Mine. Prosecutors say Marconati, together with an Australian national, Mark Andrew Hughes orchestrated a fraudulent re-registration of the mining company. Hughes is believed to have fled Zimbabwe and is now in South Africa.

Court documents filed by the mine’s listed directors, Yan Bo and Ke Wang, allege that the pair unlawfully removed the legitimate directors from official records and installed themselves as the sole company directors. The complainants argue that the move was carried out despite ongoing High Court litigation and in defiance of existing court orders.

The case has attracted attention in Inyathi, Matabeleland North, where local residents have raised concerns over Marconati’s operations at the mine. Villagers have previously attempted to stage protests, citing tensions with mine security and an alleged fatal shooting involving guards.

Some community members have accused authorities of failing to act sooner, claims that police have not publicly addressed.

Marconati is expected to return to the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Saturday for further proceedings before his bail hearing on Monday.

For now, the man who once evaded arrest underground will remain in custody as the courts consider whether he should be granted his freedom.