The Sunday Mail
At least five people have come to the attention of the authorities for allegedly collaborating with Baba Jukwa.
One of the suspects is a computer programmer based outside the country, another is based in Masvingo while the rest live in Harare. They are implicated in offences ranging from possessing and distributing pornography, impersonating law enforcement agents and possessing articles for criminal use.
Two of the collaborators potentially face serious prison time for violating the Official Secrets Act after transmitting documents from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and the Public Service Commission (PSC).
Investigations by The Sunday Mail have uncovered information suggesting that the authorities are in possession of troves of data containing the personal email communications of hundreds of individuals who communicated with the online syndicate.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed that the authorities had already shortlisted at least five people who communicated with Mxolisi Ncube and Mkhululi Chimoio, the South Africa-based journalists exposed as the administrators of the social media page.
Dozens of collaborators could be implicated with the authorities now focusing on identifying those who supplied the two journalists with information.
The list of implicated individuals includes a Harare-based man, Mr Jabulani Charlie, who could face charges of possession and distribution of pornographic material. Documents seen by The Sunday Mail reveal that he sent at least three emails to Baba Jukwa from his personal email address ([email protected]) with an attachment of a pornographic video featuring Harare socialite Pokello Nare.
He also faces possible civil action from Nare and her then boyfriend musician Desmond “Stunner” Chideme, who are both featured in the video.
The video was used by Baba Jukwa to demonise Nare who at the time was a contestant in the Big Brother House.
Other informants who have been identified attempted to use anonymous email addresses but were tracked down based on header data analysis by technicians believed to be working with the authorities. Header data refers to information not ordinarily visible when an email is read but that contains information about the servers an email travelled through before reaching its recipient and more importantly the exact IP address of the sender.
It is unclear whether the technicians are law enforcement agents or contractors. Last week The Herald reported that a team of New Zealand computer hackers had been involved in the initial operation to gain control of an email address that was being used by the pair.
A man who had employment problems with the PSC, Mr Musikiwa Mbanje, could possibly face questioning from the authorities over his transmission of official Government documents marked as confidential.
In an email dated May 2, 2013 he sent an email with attached documents detailing disciplinary proceedings brought against him by the PSC. He is likely to be questioned as to his motives.
In other documents seen by The Sunday Mail, a woman purporting to be the wife of a senior MDC-T official can be seen transmitting information from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. It was unclear at the time of going to print whether or not the documents were privileged.
The authorities are believed to have traced the IP address to a Harare-based IP address.
A United Kingdom-based computer programmer Mr Walter Shoko is also on the radar of the authorities facing possible charges over a spying conspiracy as well as working as a collaborator on the Baba Jukwa team. The full details of his activities are published elsewhere in this issue. It is unclear how the authorities got their hands on the information which is more extensive than an initial batch released by hackers last week.
Investigations by The Sunday Mail revealed that a unit with potential connections to military intelligence probed a list of collaborators as early as August 2013 but did not consider their profiles to be of a national security threat. It is unclear whether that unit passed on its finding to the police or how the unit itself got access to the data.
It has been widely speculated that the intelligence services were involved in the operation, but the authorities have not come out to deny or confirm the allegations. Last week, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo sought to downplay the possible involvement of the intelligence services, saying that it could have been the work of five-year-old kids and that “the least said about how the now busted Baba Jukwa was hacked the better.”
Police are reported to be keeping a tight lid on investigations. Yesterday, national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said: “I haven’t been informed (about the investigation). I will have to check for you.”
Senior Asst Comm Charamba’s mobile phone later went unanswered.
