Incriminating evidence against suspected SA hitmen

The trial of five South African-based individuals accused of kidnapping and assaulting Zimbabwean businessman Oliver Tendai Chipindu continued in Harare, with a digital forensic expert testifying.

The accused - Moses Monde, Malvin Manzinde, Malvin Tatenda Nyamuranga, Norbert Muponda, and Joshua Mapuranga - face charges of assault and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. The alleged mastermind, Obrian Mapurisa, is reportedly still at large.

The court heard from digital forensic examiner Mr. Overson Admire Tinashe Sosa from the Criminal Investigations Department Cyber Laboratory. Mr. Sosa testified that he analyzed a Hisense U40 phone and a Cell C SIM card confiscated from the accused, retrieving call logs, text messages, and WhatsApp data linked to Mapurisa's South African phone number, +27788532189.

Using Cellebrite UFED forensic tools, Mr. Sosa retrieved critical evidence, including text messages and call logs. Due to compatibility issues, he conducted a manual examination of WhatsApp messages, where he discovered the username "Makaveli" linked to the number +27651102019. His analysis unveiled discussions detailing the alleged assault plot, including conversations with audios, text exchanges, and images, which he confirmed to have originated from the device.

The prosecution sought to admit hard-copy documents of the retrieved evidence, prompting an objection from the defense. Defense attorney Mr. Moffat Makuvatsine argued that the soft copy had not been provided to the accused and questioned the accuracy of the printed version. However, Magistrate Stanford Mambanje ruled to include the documents, noting their relevance would be considered later.

Mr. Sosa confirmed the hard-copy content matched the original soft copy, both handed over to Detective Assistant Inspector Tirivangani Madhibha. The trial will resume on October 28, as the court continues to examine evidence in the alleged US$800,000 fraud and assault conspiracy.