FORMER head of the now-defunct Zanu PF Chipangano terror group, Jim Kunaka, was yesterday removed from remand by a Harare magistrate.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Kunaka was facing charges of assaulting and robbing a military intelligence officer over four years ago when the late former President Robert Mugabe was still in power.
The incident allegedly happened when Kunaka was part of a welcome party for Mugabe at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport as he returned from the United Nations conference in New York.
The complainant was cited in court papers as Dennis Mupfungidza, a soldier seconded to the Presidential Guard. Kunaka was freed after his lawyer Nyasha Makuzwa had filed for removal from remand, claiming that the trial was failing to proceed due to Mupfungidza’s defaulting of court proceedings.
Makuzwa told the court that the delays were infringing on his client’s constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial.
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Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro agreed with the defence and ruled that the matter had been on remand for some time and the State was supposed to bring its witness to court in order to bring the matter to finality. According to the court papers after beating the soldier, Kunaka then searched and stole goods worth US$835.