Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
The court has dismissed an application for discharge made by five South African-based suspected hitmen who are being accused of getting hired to kidnap and assault a local businessman.
The businessman, Oliver Tendai Chipindu, was reportedly defrauded of US$800 000 in a botched fuel tanks deal.
Presiding magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje ruled that the accused have a case to answer and must explain their involvement in the matter.
Moses Monde, Malvin Manzinde, Malvin Tatenda Nyamuranga, Norbert Muponda, and Joshua Mapurangaare are facing charges of assault and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
The alleged mastermind behind the plot, Obrian Mapurisa, remains on the run.
In testifying, Monde claimed that he had no knowledge of the alleged crime.
He said he and his co-accused were Mapurisa’s employees, with three working as truck drivers and two as IT personnel specialising in vehicle tracking.
He denied being a South African resident and explained how he ended up in Harare, where the alleged incident occurred.
“My colleagues and l were called by Benard Bruce Chiweshe to meet at a lodge in Harare. He said he had a job for us,” Monde said.
Monde said upon arrival at the lodge, they met Chipindu and he informed them about the US$800 000 debt.
“Chipindu left the lodge saying he was going to get food for us and would inform us about the next steps. Within 20 minutes, the police arrived and arrested us,” he said.
Monde denied the allegations that they were armed and dangerous, stating that the police accused them of hiding firearms although they didn’t have any.
Regarding incriminating messages found in his phone, Monde claimed that he was unaware of them.
“The phone I was using was a second-hand. When I was arrested, my phone was with my friend Ritchie in Congo. I don’t know how the police retrieved messages from it. I only saw the messages on the charge sheet,” he said.
The State is being represented by Mr Ephraim Zinyandu, while Mr Moffat Makuvatsine is representing the accused.
The trial is set to resume today.
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