The erstwhile Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe and some past cabinet ministers have allegedly been charged for not less than $35m by a US congressman, after he claimed to have been mishandled by the country’s intelligence operatives while in custody.

According to Daily News, in letter of demand to Mugabe and several other ministers, the lawyers for Mel Reynolds said that their client was demanding $35m for stress and injuries he had sustained during torture by intelligence operatives.

In his lawsuit, Reynolds cited several former ministers: President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s special advisor, Christopher Mutsvangwa; former minister of tourism Walter Mzembi; Martin Munangatire; Monica Mutsvangwa; Henry Munangatire; former deputy prime minister Arthur Mutambara; former Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) boss Happyton Bonyongwe; and two other American citizens.

The former US congressman was arrested in 2014 after being found with pornographic material, reported the Chicago Sun Times.

Reynold was then deported to the US where he was later charged with tax evasion. 

The former republican congressman has also accused another Chicago businessman of trying to use a partnership with him to funnel bribes to Mugabe and several other ministers. 

He said, after turning down the offer, the Chicago-based business man - who has also been cited in the lawsuit - worked with a Zimbabwean lawmaker to have him arrested and tortured.