THE alleged foiled bombing of President Robert Mugabe’s Gushungo Dairy by military personnel and activists from an obscure opposition party, Zimbabwe People’s Front (ZPF), yesterday took a new twist as the State entered into a plea bargain with two of the four suspects.
BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
The suspects, Borman Ngwenya, a corporal at 1 Field Regiment, Solomon Makombe a retired intelligence officer, ZPF president Owen Kuchata and Silas Pfupa, were last Friday night arrested at Gushungo Dairy Farm in Mazowe where they were allegedly found in possession of Molotov cocktails and their party documents.
They appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court charged with banditry and money-laundering.
Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira yesterday made an application before provincial magistrate Elijah Makomo seeking to have Makombe and Pfupa removed from remand before plea and her application was granted.
“The State wishes to apply to withdraw charges against accused 3 and 4 (Makombe and Pfupa) before plea as they will now be used as State witnesses in this case,” Mashavira said.
Makomo proceeded to grant the uncontested application.
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“Charges against you have been withdrawn. You can now go home,” he said, leaving out Kuchata and Ngwenya whom he remanded to February 8 this year.
The duo remains in custody as they were advised by the court to apply to the High Court for bail pending trial after the State opposed their application for temporary liberty.
It is the State case that the accused hatched a plan to bomb Mugabe’s dairy processing plant as a protest against his failed leadership.
“They accused Mugabe of causing suffering to Zimbabweans because of his alleged dictatorial leadership style,” the State papers read.
