Cellphones reveal incriminating evidence in kidnapping plot

Five suspected hitmen, accused of plotting to kidnap a Zimbabwean businessman, have been linked to incriminating evidence found on their mobile phones, a court hearing revealed on Wednesday.

The suspects, based in South Africa, are alleged to have been hired to abduct Oliver Tendai Chipindu, who reportedly lost US$800,000 in a fraudulent gas tank deal orchestrated by one of the suspects, O'brian Mapurisa, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping plot.

During the court proceedings, Prosecutor Ephraim Zinyandu presented evidence from Detective Assistant Inspector Tirivangani Madhibha, who led the investigation. The suspects, identified as Moses Monde from Johannesburg, Malvin Manzinde, Malvin Tatenda Nyamuranga, Norbert Muponda, and Joshua Mapuranga from Cape Town, face charges of assault and conspiracy to kidnap.

Madhibha testified that he received two mobile phones belonging to Monde and Manzinde from the arresting team. "The phones were used to communicate with the mastermind, Mapurisa. I later had them sign seizure forms, which they complied with," he said.

The State requested the court to accept the seizure forms and the phones as evidence, but defense counsel Moffat Makuvatsine objected, arguing that the identity of the person who seized the phones was unclear. Magistrate Stanford Mambanje ruled in favor of the State, allowing the admission of the exhibits.

Madhibha further explained that the phones were kept to analyze how the kidnapping plan was coordinated, leading to the arrests. He disclosed that laboratory results confirmed communication between the accused and Mapurisa, stating, "I read the messages recovered by the cyber lab, which included the accused receiving instructions to visit the complainant's residence and even a picture of him."

Among the messages, the suspects discussed the challenges of apprehending Chipindu and mentioned needing to handle him "spiritually" to achieve their goal.

The accused denied the charges and contested the legitimacy of the conversations retrieved from their phones. They also refuted claims of possessing firearms or traveling from South Africa to Zimbabwe for the alleged crimes.

In their defense, the suspects claimed they were in Zimbabwe during the time of the alleged plot and asserted that they had no intention of committing the offenses. They suggested that Bernard Chiweshe, an acquaintance of Chipindu, set them up under the guise of offering employment.

The court proceedings continue as the investigation unfolds, with the prosecution working to solidify their case against the accused.