The High Court has granted RTGS$50 000 bail to the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa who has been languishing in remand prison since the 14th of December.
Marry Mubaiwa who was arrested on charges of attempted murder, externalization of foreign currency and fraud among other charges was previously denied bail by Harare Magistrate Crispen Mberewere with her freedom only coming after appealing at the High Court.
She was ordered to surrender her diplomatic passport and title deeds to her Highlands home as surety, report once a fortnight to the police and not to interfere with state witnesses among other conditions.
In his ruling, High Court Judge, Pisirai Kwenda said the Magistrate court had erred in denying bail to Mubaiwa based on irrelevant issues while ignoring the relevant ones.
“The court a quo misdirected itself on the two grounds upon which it refused bail. Firstly, policy considerations do not override the constitution. If anything policy must be informed by the Supreme law,’ reads the ruling adding that the lower court erred in considering irrelevant issues and failing to take relevant issues into consideration.
Mubaiwa was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission on 14 December 2019.
The arrest came after her husband, VP Chiwenga came from China where he was receiving medical attention and underwent several life saving surgeries with suspicions of poisoning in his stomach.
Mubaiwa is in the process of divorcing her powerful husband Constantino Chiwenga on accusations of misrepresenting that the former army general had consented to a wedding while bedridden.
She is also accused of externalisation and money-laundering involving more than US$1,9 million to finance her flashy lifestyle, buying top-of-the-range vehicles and a house in South Africa after faking invoices through her employees and friends.
She is alleged to have externalised money to South Africa and China between October 2018 and May 2019
Mubaiwa is represented by top human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa and Advocate Sylvester Hashit.
