HARARE, Aug. 12 (NewsDay Live) — The bail ruling for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s daughter-in-law Kelsea Tafirenyika and her uncle, Isaac Jessub, who are facing charges of dealing in dangerous drugs, has been postponed to today after an alleged communication breakdown between the court and the parties.
Regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa, who was expected to deliver the ruling yesterday, said she had been waiting for further submissions from the defence in response to the State’s opposition to bail.
The State, represented by Lancelot Mutsokoti, had opposed bail, while the defence, led by Malvern Mapako, was expected to file a replication to the State’s submissions.
Gofa said neither party had communicated that the defence would not be filing further submissions, resulting in her waiting for the anticipated response before preparing the ruling.
The matter was subsequently postponed to today after Mapako indicated that no further submissions would be filed.
During last week’s bail hearing, the court heard that police allegedly recovered two national identity cards bearing different names but linked to Tafirenyika.
One identity document was reportedly in the name of Gertrude Badza, while the other bore the name Kelsea Tadiwa Tafirenyika.
The investigating officer told the court that inquiries with the Civil Registry established that Tafirenyika was her genuine identity, while the name Gertrude Badza did not exist in the registry’s database.
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The officer further alleged that police recovered drugs and used syringes from Tafirenyika’s bed during a search of her Greystone Park home.
The bail hearing was also punctuated by allegations that Tafirenyika and Jessub were assaulted during their arrest.
The court ordered that both accused undergo medical examinations after they complained of being assaulted by police officers.
Mapako said the examinations were ordered after his clients alleged that police had used excessive force during their arrest.
“The court has ordered that Kelsea Tafirenyika and her co-accused be medically examined after they raised complaints against police officers,” Mapako said.
The defence further alleged that the accused were assaulted, forced to surrender their mobile phones and compelled to sign seizure certificates.
The investigating officer denied the allegations.
The magistrate later cleared the courtroom before inspecting areas on the accused persons’ bodies where they claimed to have sustained injuries.
Tafirenyika was arrested on August 4 after detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics unit allegedly recovered pethidine, morphine and cannabis during a raid at her Greystone Park residence.
Prosecutors allege that more than 200 ampoules of pethidine and morphine were recovered from her bedroom, while five rolls of cannabis were allegedly found hidden inside her Lamborghini.
The State is opposing bail, arguing that investigations are still underway and that detectives have not yet arrested the alleged supplier of the drugs.
Prosecutors also contend that Tafirenyika is a flight risk because some of the recovered medicines were allegedly destined for foreign markets.
Tafirenyika denies the allegations.
