Elliot Makombo, the Registrar of Companies, yesterday said: “We have failed to locate the file. I have asked the company’s proprietors to give me their documents so that we can update the file.” Makombo said the documents were open for public inspection and when they were available The Daily News would be free to study them. Meng Yunpu, a Chinese national resident in Zimbabwe for the past 10 years, is the managing director of the company. He says he owns 49 percent of Soundrider
Communications, with the remainder belonging to indigenous business people he has constantly refused to name, but are said to include a number of prominent, politically well-connected entrepreneurs. Early this month Yunpu produced a licence granted by the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe on 28 November after The Daily News published a picture of the filling station in October. The company was given the approval to import fuel three months after The Daily News discovered that Soundrider was operating illegally.

Yunpu said yesterday: “What do you want this time? The story you published has disturbed my business. Not as many people are coming to buy diesel as they did before you wrote that story. My friend, I do not have much to say about this issue, but there is diesel for sale here.” He said: “Please do not link my business to politicians. I want to tell you that I am not linked or related to any officials from Zanu PF. I am just a businessman.” The filling station sells diesel at $40 per litre instead of the gazetted price of $39,57 per litre. Mutasa recently threatened a Daily News reporter with unspecified action when he was asked about the filling station. He said it was the role of the police, not an investigative reporter, to probe the company if there were any irregularities.