A senior government official says Harare does not trust the Kimberley process (KP) diamond monitor who arrived in the country on Sunday, alleging he is Europe's chief advisor on Zimbabwe. Abbey Chikane, the KP founding chairman, is in the country to assess Zimbabwe's compliance with international standards of mining and processing as agreed in November last year. But Thankful Musukutwa, the Mines and Minerals Development permanent secretary, claims the gentleman is a spy. Musukutwa stunned the Mines and Energy parliamentary committee yesterday when he said Chikane could be used to advance Europe's interests. Relations between Europe and members of Zimbabwe's past government have been sour since the European Union imposed travel and financial restrictions on president Robert Mugabe and members of his elite for human rights abuses and election theft. "This person (Chikane) appointed to this (KP) is the Zimbabwe sanctions advisor to the EU. If we are not clever we are imposing more sanctions on ourselves."

"We went through hell to be admitted into the KP. Outside organisations such as Africa Union, World Diamonds Council and Americans, they bring in CIOs (Zimbabwe's central Intelligence Organisation) – all they are bent on is to bring in more sanctions on us….We are giving (them) room to get into our system," said Musukutwa, who was appearing before the committee as part of a probe into suspected illegal mining and trading of Chiadzwa diamonds. Musukutwa was appointed to the ministry from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in yet unclear circumstances. His performance at the parliamentary hearing showed a man more concerned with concealing goings on in Chiadzwa than opening up to Zimbabwe's diamond mining shortcomings. Chikane was appointed as a compromise after Zimbabwe and the KP failed to agree on an "acceptable" monitor. Zimbabwe rejected the KP's nomination of a former De Beer's executive familiar with diamond mining in Africa, on the basis the he was white. He is meeting government officials as well as the mining companies Mbada Diamonds and Canadile Miners. The controversial companies took over Chiadzwa from the title holder African Consolidated resources when that company was forced off its concession by the former regime.