After name dropping First lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and son Collins in an attempt to save former ZIFA Chief Executive Officer Henrietta Rushwaya from arrest after she was found trying to smuggle 6 kilograms of gold to Dubai, one of the accused persons in the case has turned around to deny implicating the First family as owners of the yellow metal.
This is despite the initial police report released on the day Rushwaya was arrested at the Robert Mugabe international airport where Gift Karanda told security officers that the gold in question belonged to the first family.
Rushwaya was arrested together with Ali Muhammed, security agents Stephen Chenjerai Tserayi, Raphios Mufandauya and Gift Karanda who are jointly charged of smuggling and illegal possession of gold.
Tserayi and Karanda are separately charged with criminal abuse of office for allegedly escorting Rushwaya and giving her VIP access to the airport.
During cross examination at the Harare Magistrates court yesterday, Karanda denied implicating the first lady in the gold smuggling deal.
“The fifth accused person is saying he has no connections with the first family,” said Rubaya.
Tserayi, who is being represented by lawyers Admire Rubaya and Oliver Marwa while Mufandauya is represented by lawyer Joshua Chirambwi.
Auxillia recently issued a statement challenging the police to investigate and clear her name from the gold smuggling saga.
The police promptly responded with a statement that confirmed the outcome of their investigations which they said had cleared the first lady of any involvement in Rushwaya’s case.
Yesterday, Zanu PF Acting Spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa warned those involved in name calling the first family in their shenanigans that they risk arrest.
Rushwaya’s case was adjourned to today where the third accused person will examine the investigating officer.
