News / National
Senior CID officers denied bail
05 Dec 2020 at 20:48hrs | Views
HIGH Court judge Justice Felicia Chatukuta has dismissed the bail application by two senior Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers who are linked to the gold smuggling case involving suspended Zimbabwe Miners Federation president Henrietta Rushwaya.
Superintendent Douglas Shoko and detective chief inspector Paul Chimungu from the CID Flora and Fauna Unit were arrested on charges of allegedly tampering with documents that would incriminate Pakistan businessman Ali Mohammed.
The duo appealed at the High Court separately after being denied bail and placed in remand prison on November 3 by the magistrate's courts. Rushwaya's bail appeal hearing has yet to be heard in the High Court as she and her accomplices have applied to have the records of proceedings transcribed.
According to court records, Rushwaya was arrested on October 26 at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport as she allegedly attempted to smuggle 6kg worth of gold bars to Dubai.
In her possession, the former Zifa chief executive officer allegedly had documentation that implicated Mohammed as an accomplice. Chimungu allegedly took a team of detectives to Mohammed's home to arrest him, but instead recorded a warmed and cautioned statement from the Pakistani businessman before leaving him there and returning to the station.
They directed the investigating officer in the Rushwaya case to delete from the State outline any reference of documentation that could implicate Mohammed. Chatukuta denied the bail appeal stating that there was a chance that they could interfere with evidence as documents had been recovered in Chimungu's possession relating to the case against Mohammed that he had previously denied having.
"Under the circumstances, the finding of the court a quo that both appellants are likely to interfere with evidence cannot be faulted. There is no basis for interfering with the decision by the court to deny the appellants bail." Chatukuta ruled.
Superintendent Douglas Shoko and detective chief inspector Paul Chimungu from the CID Flora and Fauna Unit were arrested on charges of allegedly tampering with documents that would incriminate Pakistan businessman Ali Mohammed.
The duo appealed at the High Court separately after being denied bail and placed in remand prison on November 3 by the magistrate's courts. Rushwaya's bail appeal hearing has yet to be heard in the High Court as she and her accomplices have applied to have the records of proceedings transcribed.
In her possession, the former Zifa chief executive officer allegedly had documentation that implicated Mohammed as an accomplice. Chimungu allegedly took a team of detectives to Mohammed's home to arrest him, but instead recorded a warmed and cautioned statement from the Pakistani businessman before leaving him there and returning to the station.
They directed the investigating officer in the Rushwaya case to delete from the State outline any reference of documentation that could implicate Mohammed. Chatukuta denied the bail appeal stating that there was a chance that they could interfere with evidence as documents had been recovered in Chimungu's possession relating to the case against Mohammed that he had previously denied having.
"Under the circumstances, the finding of the court a quo that both appellants are likely to interfere with evidence cannot be faulted. There is no basis for interfering with the decision by the court to deny the appellants bail." Chatukuta ruled.
Source - dailynews
