Suspended Zimbabwe Miners Federation President Henrietta Rushwaya and three other accomplices will spend another weekend in remand prison after Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna ruled against their bail application
Rushwaya’s Pakistani accomplice Ali Mohammed was however granted ZWL$100 000 bail on the basis that the state’s case against him was weak.
He was ordered to report twice a week at Milton Park police station, to surrender passport, continue residing at his given address and not to interfere with witnesses or investigations until the matter is finalised.
In ruling against their bail application, Nduna said they were facing a serious offense with bail not easily considered.
“The charge of smuggling to me is not so weak that one can be given bail easily.
“Accused 1, 3, 4 and 5 are capable of skipping trial. I cannot deny that Rushwaya is the key suspect. The probability of getting a severe penalty is very high. This becomes a very big incentive for abscondment if granted bail,” said Nduna.
Rushwaya, Mohammed, Central Intelligence Organization operatives Stephen Tserayi and Raphios Mufandauya as well as miner Gift Karanda are being charged with contravening the Customs Act after the former ZIFA boss was caught attempting to smuggle 6 kilograms of gold to Dubai via Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
