BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE PRINCIPAL public prosecutor at the High Court, Henry Mugove Muringani, has been arrested and charged with criminal abuse of office for allegedly defeating the course of justice after he allegedly assisted an armed robbery suspect to be granted bail.
Muringani is accused of manipulating the charge sheet as well.
Yesterday, he appeared before Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje, who remanded him to today for bail application.
Muringani, who is represented by Moses Nyatsoma, was charged separately from the armed robbery suspect, Tatenda Tawanda Mutengo.
It is alleged that Mutengo was detained at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison facing charges of armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm when Muringani prepared two bail applications for him.
Mutengo was arrested on December 20 last year and his case was recorded as CR 1160/10/21 by the Harare Central Police Station.
He was placed on remand on December 21 under case CRBS 12195-6/21.
He was denied bail and advised to apply at the High Court, which he did on January 17 under reference number 82532/21.
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After his application was dismissed, there was information to the effect that a National Prosecuting Authority official was assisting an armed robber to secure bail.
On January 29, 2021, Mutengo’s uncle, Eliah Tatenda Murenzvi, allegedly visited Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison and gave the accused a note with Muringani’s phone number indicating that he would be assisted to get bail.
Muringani demanded US$500 to facilitate Mutengo’s release.
It was paid in instalments of US$20, US$380 and US$100, respectively.
On February 6, 2021, Muringani allegedly asked Murenzvi to collect papers to hand to Mutengo for his bail application on February 8.
Mutengo then used the papers from Muringani and was granted $5 000 bail and given reporting conditions.
CRB 12196/21 relating to his armed robbery charge was not captured on the bail release order.
The accused failed to get out of prison as a result of the outstanding CRB.
On February 17, Muringani allegedly facilitated another bail application using CRB 12196/21, this time claiming they were rape charges.
Murenzvi paid him US$200 and he was given bail application papers to deliver to Mutengo for use on February 23.
On February 23, Mutengo used the papers to apply for bail and defended his application using the false documents.
He was ordered to pay $10 000 bail coupled with reporting conditions.
Detectives allegedly received information pertaining to this matter and arrested Muringani on February 26.
Police recovered the accused person’s phones and a laptop containing communication between him and Murenzvi and other prison inmates that Muringani had assisted to secure bail.
Mutengo also appeared before magistrate Mambanje and was remanded to today for bail application.
- Follow Desmond on Twitter @DChingarande1
