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Ex-British soldier seeks whistleblower identity

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A FORMER British soldier, who was last week arrested in Harare for alleged illegal possession of machinery used to manufacture cocaine capsules and compress dagga, yesterday challenged the State to reveal its whistleblower before he pleads to the charge.

A FORMER British soldier, who was last week arrested in Harare for alleged illegal possession of machinery used to manufacture cocaine capsules and compress dagga, yesterday challenged the State to reveal its whistleblower before he pleads to the charge.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

James Francis Joscelyne, of Glen Lorne, who has since renounced his Zimbabwean citizenship, made the demands when he appeared before magistrate Nomsa Sabarauta facing charges of dealing in dangerous drugs.

Through his lawyer, Sylvester Hashiti, Joscelyne requested the police to disclose the name of its witness before he prepares his defence.

“We request the police to disclose the name of the whistlebower before we plead so that we prepare our defence. The State had made it clear that they will respond to our application on Wednesday next week, hence, we seek postponement to that date,” Hashiti said.

Allegations are that on July 20 this year, detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics received a tip-off that Joscelyne was dealing in dangerous drugs at his home.

They went to his residence with a search warrant and allegedly found two sachets of a substance suspected to be cocaine with a street value of $640 and 43 ecstasy tablets valued at $129 in his bedroom.

The State further alleged that Jocelyne led the detectives to his kitchen, where a bowl containing ecstasy powder, empty plastic packaging, two drug processing machines, a single-punch pill maker and dagga compressing machine, 25kg of micro crystalline cellulose used in pharmaceutical tablet making, 300 empty capsules and food colourants, were found.

The drugs were taken for forensic examination and the results are yet to be released.

The court remanded the matter to August 16.

Francesca Mukumbiri appeared for the State.