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Marconati appears in court after 2 days evading police
2 hrs ago |
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Businessman Francesco Marconati has appeared before a Harare magistrate following his arrest after a days-long attempt to evade police.
The 66-year-old was brought to court on Friday morning and remanded in custody until Monday, when he is expected to apply for bail.
Prosecutors are opposing his release, arguing that Marconati is a flight risk after allegedly breaching previous bail conditions and deliberately avoiding arrest.
His arrest followed a 10-day manhunt that ended in Harare. Police allege that Marconati had been hiding at Duration Gold Limited's (DGL) 5 Mine in Inyathi, Matabeleland North, where he reportedly spent two days concealed inside a mine shaft.
Investigators claim that he later slipped out of the mine premises through a weighbridge area, evading officers stationed at the main gate, before fleeing in a Honda Fit vehicle.
Marconati is facing fraud charges linked to the alleged illegal takeover of DGL 5 Mine. Prosecutors allege that he acted in concert with an Australian national, Mark Andrew Hughes, to fraudulently re-register the mining company. Hughes is believed to have fled Zimbabwe and is now in South Africa.
Court documents filed by the mine's listed directors, Yan Bo and Ke Wang, allege that Marconati and Hughes unlawfully removed legitimate directors from official company records and installed themselves as the sole directors.
The complainants argue that the alleged actions were carried out despite ongoing High Court litigation and in defiance of existing court orders governing the mine's directorship and shareholding.
The case has drawn attention in Inyathi, where local residents have previously raised concerns about Marconati's operations at the mine. Villagers have attempted to stage protests, citing tensions with mine security and an alleged fatal shooting involving guards.
Some community members have accused authorities of failing to act timeously, claims that police have not publicly responded to.
Marconati is expected to return to the Harare Magistrates' Court on Saturday for further remand proceedings ahead of his bail hearing on Monday.
For now, he remains in custody as the court considers whether he should be granted bail.
The 66-year-old was brought to court on Friday morning and remanded in custody until Monday, when he is expected to apply for bail.
Prosecutors are opposing his release, arguing that Marconati is a flight risk after allegedly breaching previous bail conditions and deliberately avoiding arrest.
His arrest followed a 10-day manhunt that ended in Harare. Police allege that Marconati had been hiding at Duration Gold Limited's (DGL) 5 Mine in Inyathi, Matabeleland North, where he reportedly spent two days concealed inside a mine shaft.
Investigators claim that he later slipped out of the mine premises through a weighbridge area, evading officers stationed at the main gate, before fleeing in a Honda Fit vehicle.
Marconati is facing fraud charges linked to the alleged illegal takeover of DGL 5 Mine. Prosecutors allege that he acted in concert with an Australian national, Mark Andrew Hughes, to fraudulently re-register the mining company. Hughes is believed to have fled Zimbabwe and is now in South Africa.
Court documents filed by the mine's listed directors, Yan Bo and Ke Wang, allege that Marconati and Hughes unlawfully removed legitimate directors from official company records and installed themselves as the sole directors.
The complainants argue that the alleged actions were carried out despite ongoing High Court litigation and in defiance of existing court orders governing the mine's directorship and shareholding.
The case has drawn attention in Inyathi, where local residents have previously raised concerns about Marconati's operations at the mine. Villagers have attempted to stage protests, citing tensions with mine security and an alleged fatal shooting involving guards.
Some community members have accused authorities of failing to act timeously, claims that police have not publicly responded to.
Marconati is expected to return to the Harare Magistrates' Court on Saturday for further remand proceedings ahead of his bail hearing on Monday.
For now, he remains in custody as the court considers whether he should be granted bail.
Source - online
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