News / National
Ex-top govt official up for drug peddling
08 May 2023 at 06:13hrs | Views
A FORMER principal accountant in the Finance and Economic Development ministry, Tonderai Musekiwa has been arrested for allegedly dealing in dangerous drugs.
Musekiwa (50) appeared at the Harare Magistrate's Court on Friday last week after being arrested while in possession of cocaine and ecstasy drugs valued at $2 700 000.
He appeared before magistrate Ngoni Nduna who remanded him in custody to today for bail ruling.
Through his lawyer Mutsa Chivandire, Musekiwa challenged the possession of the drugs, saying they were planted in his vehicle.
However, the State represented by Deputy Prosecutor-General Michael Reza opposed bail saying drugs were harming communities and drug dealers must be dealt with differently to those who buy them.
Allegations are that on May 3 this year, at around 3pm, detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics received information that Musekiwa was supplying cocaine in greater Harare using a blue mini cooper vehicle, registration numbers AFV 7970.
On the same date, the detectives spotted the said motor vehicle parked at the new passport offices along Leopold Takawira Road.
The detectives approached the vehicle and found Musekiwa seated behind the steering wheel.
They introduced themselves and requested to search him, leading to the recovery and seizure of a sachet with 410 tablets of suspected ecstasy under the passenger seat.
The police also recovered 19 sachets of suspected cocaine from a fuel cap.
The suspect and the seized drugs were taken to Forensic Science Laboratory where presumptive tests on suspected cocaine was carried out in the presence of Musekiwa and tested positive to cocaine.
The suspected cocaine and ecstasy tablets were also weighed in the presence of Musekiwa and recorded a weight of approximately 18g and 135g, respectively, with an estimated street values of $1,8 million and $902 000.
Musekiwa (50) appeared at the Harare Magistrate's Court on Friday last week after being arrested while in possession of cocaine and ecstasy drugs valued at $2 700 000.
He appeared before magistrate Ngoni Nduna who remanded him in custody to today for bail ruling.
Through his lawyer Mutsa Chivandire, Musekiwa challenged the possession of the drugs, saying they were planted in his vehicle.
However, the State represented by Deputy Prosecutor-General Michael Reza opposed bail saying drugs were harming communities and drug dealers must be dealt with differently to those who buy them.
Allegations are that on May 3 this year, at around 3pm, detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics received information that Musekiwa was supplying cocaine in greater Harare using a blue mini cooper vehicle, registration numbers AFV 7970.
On the same date, the detectives spotted the said motor vehicle parked at the new passport offices along Leopold Takawira Road.
The detectives approached the vehicle and found Musekiwa seated behind the steering wheel.
They introduced themselves and requested to search him, leading to the recovery and seizure of a sachet with 410 tablets of suspected ecstasy under the passenger seat.
The police also recovered 19 sachets of suspected cocaine from a fuel cap.
The suspect and the seized drugs were taken to Forensic Science Laboratory where presumptive tests on suspected cocaine was carried out in the presence of Musekiwa and tested positive to cocaine.
The suspected cocaine and ecstasy tablets were also weighed in the presence of Musekiwa and recorded a weight of approximately 18g and 135g, respectively, with an estimated street values of $1,8 million and $902 000.
Source - newsday
