ROBERT MUGABE REPORTEDLY IN SINGAPORE FOR MEDICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 001254 SIPDIS EAP/MTS - M. COPPOLA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2019 TAGS: PREL PINR SN ZI SUBJECT: ROBERT MUGABE REPORTEDLY IN SINGAPORE FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT Classified By: CDA Joel Ehrendreich for reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (SBU) A reputable private-sector source told CDA that he saw Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrive in the office of a radiation oncologist at Gleneagles, a major hospital in Singapore, on December 29. The source, an American resident in Singapore who is a patient of the radiation oncologist, personally observed Mugabe's arrival at the clinic. The source added that he asked the physician to confirm that it was in fact Mugabe, and the physician did so. Although Post considers this information to be credible, Post is not able to provide independent confirmation of Mugabe's presence in Singapore or his reasons for being here. ¶2. (C) If Robert Mugabe is indeed in Singapore, it may not be his first visit as a medical tourist. There have been previous public reports of Mugabe visiting Singapore for treatment over the past year, but none from a source whose credibility Post could evaluate. Various, mostly on-line, sources have claimed that Mugabe came to Singapore for prostate cancer treatment in May 2008, for treatment again in August 2008, and for unknown reasons (possibly a family holiday) in January 2009. The government of Singapore has never confirmed, denied, or otherwise commented on these stories, and if such visits took place, they were kept very quiet. EHRENDREICH Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm