Kwekwe General Hospital nurse Renica Chakabvapasi and her lover Godwin Mugwangi, who are facing a murder charge, have been granted bail by the High Court.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
They had been in remand prison since Monday last week when they were charged with the murder of Lee Mazarire, a terminally-ill patient, who was under the care of Chakabvapasi.
Defence lawyer Zivanai Tapera told NewsDay his clients had been granted $50 bail each by the High Court.
“They have been granted bail and Mugwangi is now out of custody, while Chakabvapasi is yet to deposit her bail so she remains in custody,” Zivanai said.
The two lovebirds, who also face 10 counts of fraud where they allegedly fleeced Old Mutual Life Assurance company of $55 000, in a Funeral Cash Benefit scheme scam, will be back in court on September 29.
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They will be jointly charged with Old Mutual employee Munyaradzi Tanyanyiwa (38) and Kwekwe teacher Nelson Mukwakwami (37).
It is the State’s case that Chakabvapasi would identify terminally-ill patients at the hospital and, with the help of Mugwangi, Tanyanyiwa and Mukwakwami, they would use the information to fraudulently open Funeral Cash Benefit policies with Old Mutual.
Immediately after the policy matured, the patients would pass on and Mugwangi with the help of Tanyanyiwa allegedly processed the claims and withdrew $5 000 per policy.
The State alleges Old Mutual could have lost $55 000 to the ring.
The State suspects that Chakabvapasi could have killed her victims, and have since charged her with Mazarire’s murder.
His body was taken for a post-mortem in Bulawayo and the results are yet to be released as investigations into the alleged scam continue.