HARARE High Court judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze yesterday upheld an appeal by the Prosecutor General (PG)’s Office seeking to jail a housemaid who had been granted bail by the magistrates’ court on allegations of stealing over $1,5 million from her South African employer.
BY CHARLES LAITON
Constance Mujeyi (28) had been granted $100 bail alongside her cousins Watson Laiton (27) and Matthew Laiton (23) by provincial magistrate Tendai Mahwe forcing the State to invoke Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, which sent them back to prison.
The State made an application at the High Court seeking to reverse the magistrate’s decision on the basis that the trio were not proper candidates for bail.
Justice Mawadze ruled there was overwhelming evidence against the three and their chances to abscond were high.
The judge said it was not in the interest of justice to have them released on bail.
Mujeyi is alleged to have hatched a plan to steal from one Veronica Wilkins after roping in the Laiton brothers who later helped her flee to Zimbabwe.
The trio allegedly built a house in Chitungwiza and bought a vehicle using the proceeds from the theft before concealing the balance of the cash, some of which was recovered by the police when they were arrested.
