News / National
Cop 'threatens' to kill witness
25 Apr 2016 at 06:48hrs | Views
A WITNESS in a case where a cop is accused of smuggling and possessing unregistered skin lightening creams has told the court he has fled his home after the policeman threatened to kill him for testifying against him.
Maxwell Chinyuka, 32, of ZRP Hwange Camp was arrested recently allegedly after smuggling an assortment of goods from Zambia through the Victoria Falls Border Post.
A State witness Noah Dube told the magistrate he now fears for his life as the cop was threatening to kill him. "After his arrest he's been following me even in bars threatening to kill me if I testified against him. I now live in fear and wish the court can intervene," said Dube.
"He approached and hired me to quickly ferry his bag to a taxi rank while the other person he was with also walked to the bush with another bag. Before I could reach the taxi rank, some Zimra officers ordered me to bring back the bag as they were also searching his car."
Chinyuka allegedly paid Dube to smuggle a bag but was unlucky as an alert Zimra team spotted them and recovered apetito tablets, carotone light soaps and maxi light creams among other creams.
The goods are prohibited in Zimbabwe.
Chinyuka pleaded not guilty to smuggling and possessing banned products when he appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Rangarirai Gakanje who deferred trial to May.
Prosecuting, Listen Nare told the court that on March 16 at around 4PM, Chinyuka was driving a Toyota Regius coming from Zambia.
"When he arrived at the border, he failed to report to a Zimra official but instead drove straight to the gate. Officials at the border control unit advised the security guard to stop him from passing through.
"The accused was found in possession of six boxes of apetito tablets, six by 32 millilitres of light cream, eight by 15 grammes of Betasol cream, three by 50 milligrammes of oral jelly, two by 30 bio claire soap and two packets of carotone light soap hidden," Nare said.
The court heard that Chinyuka was also found with two bags of smuggled second hand clothes and groceries which were also not declared at the border.
Chinyuka has a pending case of theft where he allegedly stole a car screen spray at TM supermarket, the court was told.
Maxwell Chinyuka, 32, of ZRP Hwange Camp was arrested recently allegedly after smuggling an assortment of goods from Zambia through the Victoria Falls Border Post.
A State witness Noah Dube told the magistrate he now fears for his life as the cop was threatening to kill him. "After his arrest he's been following me even in bars threatening to kill me if I testified against him. I now live in fear and wish the court can intervene," said Dube.
"He approached and hired me to quickly ferry his bag to a taxi rank while the other person he was with also walked to the bush with another bag. Before I could reach the taxi rank, some Zimra officers ordered me to bring back the bag as they were also searching his car."
Chinyuka allegedly paid Dube to smuggle a bag but was unlucky as an alert Zimra team spotted them and recovered apetito tablets, carotone light soaps and maxi light creams among other creams.
The goods are prohibited in Zimbabwe.
Chinyuka pleaded not guilty to smuggling and possessing banned products when he appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Rangarirai Gakanje who deferred trial to May.
Prosecuting, Listen Nare told the court that on March 16 at around 4PM, Chinyuka was driving a Toyota Regius coming from Zambia.
"When he arrived at the border, he failed to report to a Zimra official but instead drove straight to the gate. Officials at the border control unit advised the security guard to stop him from passing through.
"The accused was found in possession of six boxes of apetito tablets, six by 32 millilitres of light cream, eight by 15 grammes of Betasol cream, three by 50 milligrammes of oral jelly, two by 30 bio claire soap and two packets of carotone light soap hidden," Nare said.
The court heard that Chinyuka was also found with two bags of smuggled second hand clothes and groceries which were also not declared at the border.
Chinyuka has a pending case of theft where he allegedly stole a car screen spray at TM supermarket, the court was told.
Source - chronicle
