The investigating officer in the case in which Henrietta Rushwaya and four others reportedly attempted to smuggle 6kg gold out of the country yesterday dismissed the alleged bid by one of the accused to cover up the matter by dropping the names of the First Family as simply a lie and a “dirty tactic” to try and get Rushwaya released.
Detective Chief Inspector Michael Chibaya from the Police
Law and Order section agreed yesterday that miner Gift Karanda who rushed to
Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport after Rushwaya was caught with the
gold, had no connection with the First Family.
Karanda allegedly said Rushwaya was carrying the gold for
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and her son, Collins Mnangagwa.
“It is not in dispute that Karanda has no connection with
First Family. However, people who commit such offences can use any dirty
tactics to instil fear into security agents with the motive to get his or her
freedom. Such dirty tactics involve name-dropping amongst others,” said
Chibaya.
He was responding to questions from Mr Admire Rubaya, the
lawyer representing one of the two Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)
operatives, Stephen Tserai, who are being charged with arranging for Rushwaya
to go through the VIP route with minimal checks on the day she was arrested.
The questioning is part of the application by Tserai and his co-accused for bail.
Tserai, through Mr Rubaya, has denied that Karanda
mentioned the First Family when at the airport and said the matter only arose
when the case was moved from the CID Minerals Fauna and Flora Unit to Law and
Order. Tserai was alleging that “malcontents within the security services
including the Law and Order department” were peddling rumours of the First Family’s
involvement as a move designed to wage digital warfare against the President
and his family.
Through Mr Rubaya, Tserai said the allegations were never
part of the State case when they were being interviewed at the Minerals Flora
and Fauna Unit and that if Karanda had made the assertion, he would have raised
the alarm.
Mr Rubaya attacked the detective chief inspector in his
cross examination.
“The allegations that the gold was supposed to be brought
by Collins Mnangagwa is a well-coordinated counter revolutionary disinformation
tactic being peddled by security malcontents including one Detective Chief
Inspector Chibaya from Law and Order and designed to wage a digital warfare
against the President and his family,” he said.
“You are being used, misused, abused and overused as a pawn
in this whole political chess game where there is a plot to portray His
Excellency as a bad leader and cause hostility against his persona and family,
leading to agitation of the citizenry to rise up against His Excellency.”
Det Chief Insp Chibaya, in his response, said it was
malicious for Tserai to portray an image of law enforcement agents who sought
to cause anarchy and despondence in the country by soiling the name of the
President and his family.
“This is a lie. This is a case with its facts which brings
about this charge with enough witnesses who will testify during trial.
“However, I feel it is malicious for the defence counsel to
portray a picture as though the police in particular and other security sectors
are intending to cause anarchy and despondency by soiling the image of His
Excellency and his family. This is a position being taken by defence counsel
with intentions to save his clients at all cost,” he said.
Tserai is appearing in court along with Rushwaya, Pakistani
businessman Ali Muhamad, security agent Raphios Mufandauya and miner Karanda on
smuggling, illegal possession of gold, criminal abuse of office and obstructing
the course of justice
Ali Muhamad, who is being represented by lawyer Mr Tinashe
Robin Tanyanyiwa (Snr), disowned Rushwaya, saying he had no links with her.
He told the court that he was never found in possession of
any gold after the police conducted three searches on separate occasions at his
Belvedere house in Harare.
Mr Tanyanyiwa (Snr) said there was no one among his
co-accused who ever implicated him in the smuggling bid. Herald
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