Henry Mugove Muringani appeared at the Harare Magistrates
Court charged with criminal abuse of office and alternatively defeating the
course of justice.
Muringani, who is represented by lawyer Mr Moses Nyatsoma,
was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before regional
magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje, who remanded him in custody to today for
continuation of bail application.
He is accused of preparing a bail application for suspected
armed robber Tatenda Tawanda Mutengo, who was being charged with armed robbery
and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The State led by Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti opposed to granting
of Muringani’s bail saying he was likely to commit similar offences.
Mr Mutsokoti called the investigating officer Detective
Assistant Inspector Simbarashe Maruziva to testify in opposing bail for
Muringani.
Det Asst Insp Maruziva told the court that they established
that Muringani had prepared other bail applications, which are already on the
roll at High Court, for seven other suspects.
He said they were in possession of copies of bail
applications that Muringani had prepared.
It is the State’s case that on December 20 last year
detectives from CID Homicide arrested Mutengo, who had been on the run for
armed robbery.
Upon arrest Mutengo was found in possession of a firearm
and ammunition.
Mutengo was then taken court on the following day where he
was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
On January 17 this year, Mutengo applied for bail at the
High Court and his application was dismissed.
The court heard that Mutengo while in remand prison heard
that there was someone from the NPA, who was assisting suspects facing armed
robbery and other serious crimes to get bail.
On January 29 this year, Mutengo was visited by his uncle at
Chikurubi Maximum prison where he gave him a note with his CRB and Muringani’s
contact.
Mutengo allegedly instructed his uncle Eliah Tatenda
Murenzvi to call Muringani and hand him the note.
Muringani allegedly promised Murenzvi that his nephew would
be freed on bail and asked him to meet at Whitehouse Shops in Harare where he
demanded US$500 facilitation fees.
Murenzvi is said to have paid the money in instalments of
US$20, US$380 and US$100.
On February 6, Muringani allegedly called Murenzvi to meet
him at Whitehouse to collect papers, which he was supposed to hand over to
Mutengo to use during his bail application.
The bail hearing was heard on February 8, according to the
State.
It is said that Muringani altered the armed robbery charge
to attempted murder with CRB 12195/21 which related to Mutengo’s unlawful
possession of a firearm and ammunition charge.
Mutengo then appeared at the High Court, as a self-actor,
using papers that had been prepared by Muringani.
He then allegedly defended his bail application using the
altered documents and was granted $5 000 bail coupled with other reporting
conditions.
It is said that the other CRB 12196/21 relating to armed
robbery charge was not captured on the bail release order resulting in him
failing to be released from prison.
On February 17, Muringani allegedly facilitated another
bail application using CRB 12196/21 while using rape charges.
He allegedly charged US$200 facilitation fees.
The court heard that on February 20, Muringani phoned
Murenzvi and gave him bail application papers which he delivered to Mutengo.
Mutengo went to apply for bail February 23 and was released
on $10 000 bail.
Detectives got wind of Muringani’s acts and went to arrest
him on February 26 and police retrieved communication between him and Murenzvi
and other prison inmates’’ relatives whom he had assisted.
Mutengo also appeared before the same court facing
allegations of defeating the course of justice.
He is expected back in court today for bail application.
Herald
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