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Gushungo dairy ‘bombers’ apply for remand refusal

News
Three suspects accused of banditry and money-laundering following a foiled attempt to bomb President Robert Mugabe’s Alpha Omega Dairy processing plant in Mazowe early this year, have applied for refusal of further remand, citing the State’s failure to indict them for trial at the High Court.

Three suspects accused of banditry and money-laundering following a foiled attempt to bomb President Robert Mugabe’s Alpha Omega Dairy processing plant in Mazowe early this year, have applied for refusal of further remand, citing the State’s failure to indict them for trial at the High Court.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

The suspects — Borman Ngwenya, a soldier attached to military intelligence, Solomon Makumbe (29), a Zimbabwe National Army corporal, and ex-soldier, Silas Pfupa (37) yesterday submitted the application through their lawyers, Gamuchirai Dzitiro and Exactly Mangezi, after the State indicated that the trial would commence when the High Court opens for its first term next year.

Their co-accused, Owen Kuchata pleaded guilty to the charges and was slapped with a nine-year jail term in February.

“The administrative conduct of State should be prompt and efficient. On August 18, State undertook to indict the accused during the third term of the High Court. Now they are indicating that the accused will be indicted first term of the High Court in 2017,” Dzitiro said.

Prosecutor, Sebastian Mutizirwa said he would respond to the application tomorrow, with magistrate, Bianca Makwande set to make a ruling next Monday.

The State alleges sometime last year, Kuchata, Makumbe, Pfupa and Mangezi established a militia training base in Mapinga, Mashonaland West province, where they plotted a series of terrorist acts, sabotage and banditry.

On January 1 this year, they allegedly went to Mugabe’s rural Zvimba home, where they identified targets for sabotage.

The State alleges the four held several meetings at a Harare hotel mapping strategies on how they would strike. Police then received a tip-off that the four were planning to bomb Alpha Omega Dairy’s processing plant and a tuckshop during the night.

Acting on the tip-off, the police went to the farm and laid an ambush about 100 metres from the quartet’s target.

At around 10pm, the detectives saw the men approaching the processing plant and immediately arrested them.