…as High Court Judge recuses herself
THE case in which Neville Mutsvangwa, the son of Women Affairs minister Monica Mutsvangwa and Zanu PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa, is facing charges of illegal dealing with foreign currency and money laundering, took a new twist after High Court judge, Justice Esther Muremba recused herself from the case citing “personal reasons”.
KELVIN JAKACHIRA
Muremba was due to deliver her delayed judgement in Neville’s bail application when she surprisingly announced she was stepping down from the case.
The judge said she was referring Neville’s file to the registrar of the court for allocation to another judge.
“For personal reasons I am not able to proceed with this matter,” Muremba said, adding she was referring the file to the registrar of the court for allocation to another judge.
Neville and his co-accused Elias Majachani and Simbarashe Tichingana are facing charges of dealing in foreign currency, trading in cash and money laundering
Last week the High Court failed to deliver judgement in their bail application and pushed it to today.
While Neville and his co-accused continue to languish in remand prison, the High Court last week granted USD50.00 bail to Rangarirai Chimbamba, another alleged illegal foreign currency dealer.
Chimbamba had previously been denied bail by a Harare magistrate.
Defence lawyer Josephine Sande-Chimombe submitted in the bail application that the state has failed to prove a case against the 44-year old Harare businessman and his co-accused.
Sande-Chimombe said the state has established its evidence on Visa cards which were seized from Neville’s Mt Pleasant home.
In her submissions a fortnight ago the defence lawyer argued that possession of Visa cards is not illegal and is also not evidence that someone is dealing with cash or money laundering.
