By Peta Thornycroft
Super rich Zimbabwe businessman John Bredenkamp was arrested on his estate near Harare before dawn on Friday and is due to appear in court on Monday
Bredenkamp, 65, returned to Zimbabwe from Britain last week after being advised in early June that the police wanted him for questioning.
He went to London six weeks ago, on what his business associates say was a planned trip, which included his annual date watching the lawn tennis championships at Wimbledon.
Several Zimbabwe newspapers reported at the time he left, that he had fled Zimbabwe to escape arrest in connection with allegations of foreign currency deals and dual citizenship. The state controlled press said Bredenkamp, a Zimbabwean, had another passport, which is illegal.
After his arrest at Thetford, the glorious home he bought and developed into one of Africa's finest estates in the Mazowe Valley 25 km west of Harare, he was taken to the fraud squad at the Harare Central Police Station.
From there he has been transferred to a suburban police station and is, like other awaiting trial prisoners, receiving food and visitors.
Sources close to his family say the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is particularly interested in his case. Bredenkamp made his fortune out of tobacco when he was living in Europe.
Bredenkamp has regularly been accused of having close relationships with various Zanu PF cabinet ministers, in particular with rural housing minister Emmerson Mnangagwa. They fell out two years ago and have had no contact since then.
Bredenkamp is due to stage a spectacular wedding reception for his eldest daughter at his estate in October, and many top foreign business associates have been invited.