KWEKWE — Two suspects arrested last week in connection with the alleged murder of MDC activist, Maxwell Ncube, have been released after the courts ruled the State grounds for placing them on remand were flimsy.
Kwekwe magistrate Tendai Mahwe last Friday ruled it was not sufficient to place William Marugu (31) and John Ncube (21) on remand on grounds they were the last persons to be seen with the slain activist a day before his alleged murder.
The two were closely related to the deceased. “Application to place the two on remand is dismissed and if the State wishes to proceed with this matter they may do so by way of summons,” said Mahwe.
“The evidence that the State seeks to rely on that the two were the last to be seen merry-making with the accused who they are related to are flimsy and cannot be used to place the two on remand. Even the investigating officer agreed that there was no other evidence to link accused persons to the murder of the accused.”
Marugu and Ncube were arrested on suspicion they had murdered the MDC activist on August 5, before his decomposed body was discovered in a shallow grave three days later. Zivanai Tapera represented the pair.