News / National
CIO operative in court for extortion
28 Feb 2012 at 20:23hrs | Views
A CIO operative who allegedly connived with a farmer to extort money from Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze after telling him that he was on the elimination list over his involvement in the Asiagate scandal and his links with the Prime Minister on Tuesday appeared in court charged with extortion.
Richard Mubaiwa (31) and Banket farmer John Chari (32) were not formally charged when they appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Anita Tshuma who remanded them in custody to today.
Defence counsels Mr Tapiwa Makanza of Matimba and Muchengeti and Mr Gregory Nyamupanedengu pleaded with the court to grant their clients bail arguing that they were proper candidates for bail and were not a flight risk.
However, Mr David Magwegwe who appeared for the State argued that the pair will abscond if granted bail.
It is alleged that last Tuesday at around 4pm Mubaiwa phoned Mr Mashingaidze and identified himself as Run'anga from the President's Office.
He allegedly told him that he was in possession of a file that had serious implications on him.
The State says he claimed that the file in question had information about the Asiagate scandal and the role he was playing in troubling innocent people.
It is alleged he told him that the file had pictures of Fifa president Sepp Blatter, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Zifa president Cuthbert Dube.
Mubaiwa, it is alleged, told Mr Mashingaidze that he had pictures of the Prime Minister in his Zifa office.
He said this was an indication that he was a member of the MDC-T.
The CIO operative said he was looking into his political background, which includes his connection with the MDC-T.
It is alleged he requested the complainant to meet him at Chikwanha Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza to discuss the matter.
It is alleged Mubaiwa connived with Chari whom he briefed about the discussion he had with the complainant and tasked him to proceed and meet the complainant at the said place and discuss the matter while he was waiting for him.
On the same day at around 7pm, the complainant proceeded as requested by Mubaiwa and along the way he was communicating with him on where to meet.
The complainant was received by Chari in the company of four other unidentified men who were in a parked white kombi.
Chari, it is alleged, took Mr Mashingaidze to a secluded place behind Chikwanha Shopping Centre and was accompanied by another unidentified man who kept a distance.
It is alleged Chari emphasised to the complainant the seriousness of the allegations against him and he told him that there were six men including him appointed to deal with him.
It is alleged he told Mr Mashingaidze that he was to be eliminated and that his bosses required US$10 000 or US$6 000 to avoid being eliminated and be protected.
Chari, the State says, asked the complainant how much money he had on him and the complainant produced US$20.
Chari allegedly told him to go and look for the required money and indicated to him that he was going to contact him the following morning.
The following day Mr Mashingaidze advised Zifa president Mr Dube and Brigadier General Elliot Kasu what the pair had said and the amount of money demanded.
At around 2.30 pm, it is alleged, Mubaiwa gave his car to Chara to use in pursuing the complainant.
It is alleged he later phoned Mr Mashingaidze and told him to come to Avondale Shopping Centre with the money.
The State further alleges that Mr Mashingaidze teamed up with plain clothes police officers and proceeded as requested by Chari.
While on the way Chari told Mr Mashingaidze to go to Spar Supermarket at Kensington Shopping Centre.
Mr Mashingaidze took a taxi and met Chari at Spar Supermarket and while inside the supermarket the former asked him how much he had brought and he told him that he had US$2 000, which he was given.
The money was in a khaki envelope and Chari put it in his right trousers pocket and told him to go and look for the balance as his bosses wanted it.
Plain clothes police officers arrested Chari and recovered the money.
He implicated Mubaiwa.
Richard Mubaiwa (31) and Banket farmer John Chari (32) were not formally charged when they appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Anita Tshuma who remanded them in custody to today.
Defence counsels Mr Tapiwa Makanza of Matimba and Muchengeti and Mr Gregory Nyamupanedengu pleaded with the court to grant their clients bail arguing that they were proper candidates for bail and were not a flight risk.
However, Mr David Magwegwe who appeared for the State argued that the pair will abscond if granted bail.
It is alleged that last Tuesday at around 4pm Mubaiwa phoned Mr Mashingaidze and identified himself as Run'anga from the President's Office.
He allegedly told him that he was in possession of a file that had serious implications on him.
The State says he claimed that the file in question had information about the Asiagate scandal and the role he was playing in troubling innocent people.
It is alleged he told him that the file had pictures of Fifa president Sepp Blatter, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Zifa president Cuthbert Dube.
Mubaiwa, it is alleged, told Mr Mashingaidze that he had pictures of the Prime Minister in his Zifa office.
He said this was an indication that he was a member of the MDC-T.
The CIO operative said he was looking into his political background, which includes his connection with the MDC-T.
It is alleged he requested the complainant to meet him at Chikwanha Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza to discuss the matter.
It is alleged Mubaiwa connived with Chari whom he briefed about the discussion he had with the complainant and tasked him to proceed and meet the complainant at the said place and discuss the matter while he was waiting for him.
On the same day at around 7pm, the complainant proceeded as requested by Mubaiwa and along the way he was communicating with him on where to meet.
Chari, it is alleged, took Mr Mashingaidze to a secluded place behind Chikwanha Shopping Centre and was accompanied by another unidentified man who kept a distance.
It is alleged Chari emphasised to the complainant the seriousness of the allegations against him and he told him that there were six men including him appointed to deal with him.
It is alleged he told Mr Mashingaidze that he was to be eliminated and that his bosses required US$10 000 or US$6 000 to avoid being eliminated and be protected.
Chari, the State says, asked the complainant how much money he had on him and the complainant produced US$20.
Chari allegedly told him to go and look for the required money and indicated to him that he was going to contact him the following morning.
The following day Mr Mashingaidze advised Zifa president Mr Dube and Brigadier General Elliot Kasu what the pair had said and the amount of money demanded.
At around 2.30 pm, it is alleged, Mubaiwa gave his car to Chara to use in pursuing the complainant.
It is alleged he later phoned Mr Mashingaidze and told him to come to Avondale Shopping Centre with the money.
The State further alleges that Mr Mashingaidze teamed up with plain clothes police officers and proceeded as requested by Chari.
While on the way Chari told Mr Mashingaidze to go to Spar Supermarket at Kensington Shopping Centre.
Mr Mashingaidze took a taxi and met Chari at Spar Supermarket and while inside the supermarket the former asked him how much he had brought and he told him that he had US$2 000, which he was given.
The money was in a khaki envelope and Chari put it in his right trousers pocket and told him to go and look for the balance as his bosses wanted it.
Plain clothes police officers arrested Chari and recovered the money.
He implicated Mubaiwa.
Source - TH
