Incarcerated Kwekwe Consolidated Gold Mines owner Lee Jones is expected to be released from remand prison today after the Attorney-General (AG)s Office withdrew its intended appeal against bail granted by a Harare magistrate last week.
AGs representative of the appeals section Rodrick Tokwe on Tuesday advised the court that the State had no prospects of success on appeal.
Jones was granted bail under stringent conditions on Thursday last week, but his anticipated liberty was cut short after prosecutor David Magwegwe revoked it citing section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, setting aside the bail order.
Before the State invoked the section, magistrate Anita Tshuma had granted Jones $5 000 bail and ordered him to surrender security in the form of property valued at $100 000.
As part of his bail conditions, Jones had also been ordered not to travel more than 40km outside Kwekwe without the authority of the investigating officer, to report thrice weekly to the nearest police station and not to interfere with State witnesses.
Jones lawyer Admire Rubaya told NewsDay yesterday that his client would be released today. We are waiting for my clients title deeds from Kwekwe today (yesterday) and as soon as we get them we will pay bail and seek for his release tomorrow (today), Rubaya said.
In his application for bail, Rubaya pleaded with the magistrate to grant his client bail in order to save his mines, saying his arrest was politically-motivated.
Rubaya said Jones employed over 200 workers and never at any stage attempted to sell the mining business. He told the court Jones arrest over alleged fraudulent activities was a ploy by political hawks who wanted to grab the mines from him.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Jones was arrested by police from Harare Border Control and Minerals Unit on allegations of fraudulently acquiring Chaka Plant and the surrounding gold claims. He was remanded to April 27.
