Martin Muleya.
The case of Mutare transport and earthmoving mogul Taurai Ernest Mungwari was on a false start yesterday at Mutare magistrate court.
The matter has failed for a record second time to kick off for trial after the defense counsel of the accused persons asked the matter to be remanded to another date as he was attending another matter in another court.
“Your worship am representing the accused persons courtesy of Mr (Victor) Chinzamba who is not here attending another court somewhere”, said Nicholas Nhambura a lawyer from Mugadza and Chinzamba Legal Practitioners.
Presiding magistrate Sekai Chiwundura then insisted to know the whereabouts of Mr Chinzamba.
“You say he is somewhere attending another court where?
“Is he at the High Court or he z here at the lower courts?, retorted magistrate Chiwundura.
“Your worship i am not sure which court he has attended. The instructions i got this morning (yesterday) were that he is attending another matter in court somewhere,” responded Nhambura.
Taurai Ernest Mungwari (71) and Mary Njokwe are facing charges of Obstructing the course of justice as defined in Section 184 (1) (e) of the Criminal Law (Codefication and Reform) Act Chapter 09:23.
They are out on ZW150 bail each, and the matter was remanded to the 5th of February 2020.
Mungwari was arrested early this month together with a local woman for allegedly obstructing police and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officers from confiscating a contraband that had been smuggled into the country.
Mungwari and his co-accused Mary Njokwe (34) from Zimunya, about 20 kilometres south west of Mutare, were not asked to plead when they appeared before senior magistrate Tendai Mahwe, initially.
Prosecutor Nyasha Mukonyora told the court that on October 13, three police officers comprising of Detective Assistant Inspectors Joseph Mlambo and Washington Mashizha, detective sergeant major Upenyu Manhivi and detective sergeant Vuyisile Mbabha were on anti-smuggling duties at Sakubva bus terminus, received information that Njokwe had loaded contraband which she had received from a Tenda bus from South Africa.
Armed with the information, the detectives approached Tenda garage at number 6 Swansea Close, Nyakamete and observed the two motor vehicles, a Toyota D4D double cab (Reg Number AEE 8388) and a green LandRover Reg Number AEL 2802) leaving the premises.
The detectives followed the motor vehicles until they reached Sakubva Musika rank and intercepted them.
Upon intercepting the motor vehicles the detectives demanded to see the declaration documents of the goods but none could be produced, prompting the detectives to effect arrest on the accused persons and the goods.
They reportedly removed the keys of the LandRover and ordered Njokwe to surrender her motor vehicle.
Mary who was not cooperative then drive her motor vehicle away and returned shortly, after offloading the goods.
She then blocked the LandRover in a movie-style to prevent the police details from towing it and switched off her motor vehicle.
In a short space of time, Mungwari arrived at the scene driving a Range Rover registration number ADV 6927 and mobilized touts to assist him.
Acting on Mungwari’s orders, the touts numbering up to 20 and chanting “mudhara mudhara” violently offloaded the goods from one of the vehicles and took them Njokwe`s shop.
Mungwari reportedly used spare keys and drove the other vehicle away.
The following day, the detectives teamed up with Support Unit details and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officials and arrested Mungwari and Njokwe.
Njokwe led the police to the shop where the contraband had been stashed and ZIMRA officials seized it.
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