Three members of the Zimbabwe National Army, who were early this year arrested on allegations of attempting to bomb the First Family’s Alpha Omega Dairy processing plant, were yesterday remanded to December 13.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
The suspects appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court and will be back on December 13 when they are expected to be indicted to the High Court for trial.
The quartet of Borman Ngwenya, Solomon Makumbe, Silas Pfupa and former police officer, Owen Kuchata, who is serving nine years for banditry and money-laundering, are facing treason charges.
The four men appeared before Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti, where prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa told the court the State was expecting to receive the indictment papers before the next remand date.
Defence lawyer, Gamuchirai Dzitiro consented to the postponement of the matter after her application to have the suspects removed from remand was dismissed by the court based on the seriousness of the offence.
Makumbe and Pfupa were represented by Dzitiro and Ngwenya was represented by Exactly Mangezi, while Kuchata was self-acting.
The State alleges Kuchata, Makumbe, Pfupa and Mangezi established a militia training base in Mapinga, Mashonaland West province, where they planned to commit terror acts, sabotage and banditry.
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On January 1, it is alleged they went to President Robert Mugabe’s rural home in Zvimba, where they identified suitable vulnerable points to sabotage.
The State alleges the four held several meetings at Queens Hotel in Harare, mapping strategies on how they would strike, but police received a tip-off that the four were planning to bomb Alpha Omega Dairy’s processing plant, leading to their arrest.
