Opinion / Columnist
Judge's son and co-accuseds in flopped bid to delay murder trial
01 Oct 2022 at 01:15hrs | Views
THE murder trial of High Court Judge, Justice Garainesu Mawadze's son, has commenced despite several strenuous efforts to delay proceedings.
Munyaradzi Mawadze is accused of killing Sipho Ncube, who was a Harare cellphone dealer to years ago.
He is jointly charged with his friends, Elvin Dongo Saungweme and Dellon David Balani.
High Court Judge, Justice Christopher Dube Banda ordered their trial to commence despite protests by the accused persons, who are demanding a string of evidence against them.
They had demanded release of video clips taken during indications, knives and clothes and State papers in order to prepare for their defence.
"The State has not tendered certain evidence such as a knife, clothes (both of the accused and deceased) and videos taken by the police where the accused are said to have made indications.
"There is said to be a video that was recorded from Hatcliff to Ruwa, where indications were made but we have only received clips of those videos, there is no video which covers the whole trip. We need these to finalise the defence outlines," said the trio, who are being represented by Advocate Thabani Mpofu, Justin Zuze and Bruce Maruva.
The presiding judge, however, said the trial should proceed even before the release of the evidence.
"It appears that the defendants have not been fully disclosed, my view is that these things cannot stop the trial, the trial must start now."
The trio pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is being represented by Terrence Mukuze.
It is alleged that sometime in March 2020, the trio hatched a plan to rob Ncube of his mobile phones and cash.
Court papers show that the three allegedly approached Ncube and lured him into their car claiming they wanted to buy cell phones.
Ncube agreed to accompany the trio to Waterfalls, before the alleged assailants diverted the route and drove along Chiremba Road passing through Epworth going towards Ruwa.
They allegedly robbed the deceased before killing him by slitting his throat with a knife and later dumped his body in Ruwa around Mara farm.
Ncube's decomposing body was found days later and investigations nailed the accused as suspects.
Following police reports and investigations, the State alleges the accused trio made indications as to where they had dumped Ncube's body, which was already in state of decomposition.
Munyaradzi Mawadze is accused of killing Sipho Ncube, who was a Harare cellphone dealer to years ago.
He is jointly charged with his friends, Elvin Dongo Saungweme and Dellon David Balani.
High Court Judge, Justice Christopher Dube Banda ordered their trial to commence despite protests by the accused persons, who are demanding a string of evidence against them.
They had demanded release of video clips taken during indications, knives and clothes and State papers in order to prepare for their defence.
"The State has not tendered certain evidence such as a knife, clothes (both of the accused and deceased) and videos taken by the police where the accused are said to have made indications.
"There is said to be a video that was recorded from Hatcliff to Ruwa, where indications were made but we have only received clips of those videos, there is no video which covers the whole trip. We need these to finalise the defence outlines," said the trio, who are being represented by Advocate Thabani Mpofu, Justin Zuze and Bruce Maruva.
The presiding judge, however, said the trial should proceed even before the release of the evidence.
"It appears that the defendants have not been fully disclosed, my view is that these things cannot stop the trial, the trial must start now."
The trio pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is being represented by Terrence Mukuze.
It is alleged that sometime in March 2020, the trio hatched a plan to rob Ncube of his mobile phones and cash.
Court papers show that the three allegedly approached Ncube and lured him into their car claiming they wanted to buy cell phones.
Ncube agreed to accompany the trio to Waterfalls, before the alleged assailants diverted the route and drove along Chiremba Road passing through Epworth going towards Ruwa.
They allegedly robbed the deceased before killing him by slitting his throat with a knife and later dumped his body in Ruwa around Mara farm.
Ncube's decomposing body was found days later and investigations nailed the accused as suspects.
Following police reports and investigations, the State alleges the accused trio made indications as to where they had dumped Ncube's body, which was already in state of decomposition.
Source - NewZimbabwe
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