News / National
Fugitive 'wife killer' nabbed
25 Aug 2015 at 08:39hrs | Views
Gweru businessman, Webster "Dzatu" Chiteta who is facing charges of killing his wife and has been on the run for the past 11 months, has been arrested.
Chiteta, 36, popularly known as Dzatu in the streets of the Midlands capital, was supposed to appear before the High Court which was in circuit in Gweru last September facing allegations of killing his wife, Winnie Tracy Phiri but absconded.
The Cam-Valve Auto Recovery proprietor has been on the run since then.
Chiteta was arrested at his hideout in Masvingo by police acting on a tip-off.
The Chronicle witnessed Chiteta being escorted by two plain clothes officers to the Gweru Central Police Station where he is being held. He was in leg irons.
Chiteta's lawyer, Reginald Chidawanyika of Chitere, Chidawanyika and Partners, however denied that his client had been on the run.
Chidawanyika said his client had been out on bail.
"He never ran away but was on bail waiting to be indicted. We applied for bail which was successful and I understand it has now been withdrawn because the matter is now due for trial at the High Court.
"The law is simple and straight forward, once the matter is due for trial at the High Court, the accused is taken into custody and that's what has happened. We'll see the way forward in the coming days," said Chidawanyika.
Efforts to get a comment from the Midlands provincial acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende were fruitless as she was said to be out of office.
Her mobile phone was not reachable.
Allegations against Chiteta of Mtapa Flats in Mtapa suburb, are that on April 3, 2013, he retired to bed at around 1.30AM.
His wife, the late Phiri, joined him in bed at about 3.30AM.
It is alleged Chiteta strangled her to death around that time before making a false report of sudden death at the nearby Mtapa Police Station.
However, a post-mortem report by a doctor revealed that Phiri's death was as a result of dislocation of the cervical spine and excessive movement of the neck.
Chiteta was then arrested on allegations of killing Phiri.
At the time of her burial, uproar erupted at Mtapa Police Station after mourners and relatives of Phiri demanded to see Chiteta who was detained at the station. The mourners later dispersed after a police officer begged them to respect the deceased by proceeding with the burial of their relative.
Chiteta, 36, popularly known as Dzatu in the streets of the Midlands capital, was supposed to appear before the High Court which was in circuit in Gweru last September facing allegations of killing his wife, Winnie Tracy Phiri but absconded.
The Cam-Valve Auto Recovery proprietor has been on the run since then.
Chiteta was arrested at his hideout in Masvingo by police acting on a tip-off.
The Chronicle witnessed Chiteta being escorted by two plain clothes officers to the Gweru Central Police Station where he is being held. He was in leg irons.
Chiteta's lawyer, Reginald Chidawanyika of Chitere, Chidawanyika and Partners, however denied that his client had been on the run.
Chidawanyika said his client had been out on bail.
"He never ran away but was on bail waiting to be indicted. We applied for bail which was successful and I understand it has now been withdrawn because the matter is now due for trial at the High Court.
"The law is simple and straight forward, once the matter is due for trial at the High Court, the accused is taken into custody and that's what has happened. We'll see the way forward in the coming days," said Chidawanyika.
Efforts to get a comment from the Midlands provincial acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende were fruitless as she was said to be out of office.
Her mobile phone was not reachable.
Allegations against Chiteta of Mtapa Flats in Mtapa suburb, are that on April 3, 2013, he retired to bed at around 1.30AM.
His wife, the late Phiri, joined him in bed at about 3.30AM.
It is alleged Chiteta strangled her to death around that time before making a false report of sudden death at the nearby Mtapa Police Station.
However, a post-mortem report by a doctor revealed that Phiri's death was as a result of dislocation of the cervical spine and excessive movement of the neck.
Chiteta was then arrested on allegations of killing Phiri.
At the time of her burial, uproar erupted at Mtapa Police Station after mourners and relatives of Phiri demanded to see Chiteta who was detained at the station. The mourners later dispersed after a police officer begged them to respect the deceased by proceeding with the burial of their relative.
Source - chronicle
