Detectives escort the US$2,7 million Harare-Chirundu road robbery suspects into Harare Magistrates’ Court for their initial hearing yesterday. Picture: Lee Maidza.
HARARE – Two suspects in the US$2,7 million ZB Bank cash-in-transit truck heist case, Gerald Rutizira and Neverson Mwamuka, have been denied bail at the High Court after the court ruled that evidence linking them to the robbery was strong and chances of their conviction was almost certain which can induce them to flee.
The money was en-route for distribution to ZB Bank branches in Chinhoyi, Kadoma, Kwekwe, Gweru, Gwanda, Zvishavane and Bulawayo. The duo is co-charged with alleged accomplices Kalvin Musakwa, Tendai Zuze and Trymore Chapfika. They formally appeared at the magistrates’ courts for initial remand and were remanded in custody.
Suspended Natpharm boss back in court
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Suspended National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe (NatPharm) acting managing director Zealous Nyabadza appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court yesterday facing criminal abuse of office allegations for selling a consignment of surgical masks without authority from his employer.
Nyabadza (46) was remanded in custody to today by magistrate Trynos Utawashe pending bail application.
The State alleges that Nyabadza took delivery of 28×50 boxes of surgical masks valued at US$54 600 on May 19 last year from Sacred Heart Pharmaceuticals without following proper procurement procedures.
The masks were allegedly never received at Strategic Business Unit at Natpharm despite Nyabadza signing for their receipt.
“Alert Zimbabwe: I have received information that the Mnangagwa regime wants to arrest me today for the offence which I don’t know. They are alleging that I undermined the authority of the police by Tweeting about the kid allegedly assaulted by them. I have alerted everyone.”
“I am gathering that after my arrest they want to expose me to Covid-19. If anything happens to me let it be known to Zimbabweans that I am Covid-free as I speak. Few days ago I warned about the plot by the regime & they really want to arrest me for no apparent reason. Oppression.”
Tatenda Maredza
SOCIAL media influencer and businessman Acie Lumumba might be willing to take back his words denigrating graduates from Zimbabwean universities, after all.
Lumumba, whose full name is William Gerald Lumumba Mutumanje, last week said Zimbabwean universities produce useless graduates who are not fit for purpose, but a South African university graduate has just proved more useless to Lumumba by allegedly conniving with a workmate to steal US$189,000 from Lumumba’s registered petroleum business.
31-year-old Tatenda Maredza, a University of Cape Town graduate, was arrested yesterday together with her workmate Malcolm Dondo (26) for stealing from their employer.
Tatenda attended high school at Queen Elizabeth High in Harare and proceed to the South African university in 2008, it has emerged.