News / National
Businessman escapes jail
12 Aug 2011 at 00:44hrs | Views
A Harare businessman, Gladmore Musanhi was lucky to escape jail last Friday after he was cleared of extortion charges. Musanhi of Southerton had been brought to court on allegations of trying to extort money from Xavier Gombiro who lives in Budiriro, Harare, HMetro reported on Thursday.
He was cleared after the court weighed the evidence and found him not guilty. "You have been found not guilty after the court realised that the evidence given was not consistent," read Mbare magistrate Rebecca Kavhiya. It was the State s case that the accused occasionally hired out his trailer to Gombiro.
Sometime in February last year, Gombiro hired Musanhi's trailer for a certain fee in order to do his personal business. On August 6 last year, the accused's truck was coming from Botswana loaded with a consignment of salt belonging to Gombiro when it had arrived at Gazaland, Highfield.
The accused came to Gazaland shopping complex and took possession of his trailer after the salt had been off-loaded. He alleges that Gombiro had not paid his dues. Instead of taking his trailer only, the accused allegedly took 650 metres of rope, 12 rims and 12 by 22 inch tyres. The items belonged to Stewart Mukumbi who is a friend of Gombiro's. Musanhi is said to have insisted that he would not return the items unless he was given a full settlement of his dues which amounted to about US$600.
He was cleared after the court weighed the evidence and found him not guilty. "You have been found not guilty after the court realised that the evidence given was not consistent," read Mbare magistrate Rebecca Kavhiya. It was the State s case that the accused occasionally hired out his trailer to Gombiro.
The accused came to Gazaland shopping complex and took possession of his trailer after the salt had been off-loaded. He alleges that Gombiro had not paid his dues. Instead of taking his trailer only, the accused allegedly took 650 metres of rope, 12 rims and 12 by 22 inch tyres. The items belonged to Stewart Mukumbi who is a friend of Gombiro's. Musanhi is said to have insisted that he would not return the items unless he was given a full settlement of his dues which amounted to about US$600.
Source - HMetro
