CID boss denied bail

THE director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Crispen Charumbira will spend the weekend behind bars after he was denied bail by a Harare magistrate.

Charumbira was Saturday hauled before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa who advised him to seek bail at the High Court.

This was after the state opposed bail on his three counts of defeating the course of justice.

Charumbira is represented by Tabison and Norman Bvekwa who are instructing Slyvester Hashiti.

The State was represented by Michael Reza and Tinashe Makiya

According to the state, on the 17th of December 2015, Detective Sergeant Ndlovu, Detective Constable Mbundire, and Detective Constable Munyandure all of CID Drugs, Harare received information that Charles Chabata Magolise was in possession of dangerous drugs at his place of residence.

The team reacted to the information and arrested him.

"A search was conducted leading to the recovery of 443g of dagga," reads the outline.

It further reads, "Upon learning of the arrest of Magolise, Charumbira phoned detective Sergeant Ndlovu instructing him to release Magolise, however, the team did not take heed of his instructions and took him to Harare Central for docket compilation after consultation with the Officer Commanding CID Drugs Harare Chief Superintendent Mukazhi."

The court heard that upon arrival at Harare Central Charumbira summoned the arresting team to his office and pleaded with them to release the accused.

After realising that the team was not yielding to his demands, Charumbira became emotional and ordered them out of his office.

Magolise was taken to court where he was convicted to eight months imprisonment.

On count two it is alleged that early 2016 detective Constable Moyo and Detective Sergeant Nkomo of CID Drugs and Narcotics Harare, got a tip-off from a truck driver, Salim Ibrahim that he was carrying a suspicious consignment of two sacks destined for Harare which was to be received by unknown recipients at the Harare railways of Zimbabwe complex.

The two detectives laid an ambush at the spot leading to the arrest of Violet and Kelvin Muzondo after they had received the two sacks of dagga.

They were taken to Harare Central for further investigations.

It is alleged that upon leaving the station for his home, detective Constable Moyo met one drug dealer known as Ranga who informed him that Charumbira wanted to talk to him through his cellphone.

Charumbira instructed him to release the two but Moyo did not comply.

The following day Moyo met the then Assistant Commissioner Charumbira who accused him of being bigheaded and quizzed him as to why he had refused to comply with his instructions.

It is state's case that on count three, in February this year detective Constables Manyandure, Zamba, and Gwizo who were all attached to the Manicaland crack team received a tip-off that David Cosby of Mutare was in possession of illegal gold and diamonds.

The crack team armed with a search warrant reacted to the information intending to arrest Cosby.

Upon being shown the warrant, Cosby called Charumbira who questioned the credibility of the operation indicating that he was the only one who could authorise such operations.

He accused the crack team to abort the operation and report back to their stations and all this was unlawful.

The matter was remanded to October 8.