THE three Air Zimbabwe bosses accused of swindling the airline of over five million euros and $2 million in an insurance scam were yesterday denied bail and remanded in custody to March 4 .
CHARLES LAITON SENIOR COURT REPORTER
Harare magistrate Tendai Mahwe ruled the trio was facing serious charges and that the State had a strong case against them.
The two, Innocent Mavhunga (59) and Grace Pfumbidzai (49), appeared before Mahwe who ruled that they were a flight risk and therefore not proper candidates for bail.
The same applied to Peter Chikumba (59) and Pfumbidzai who appeared before another magistrate Donald Ndirowei who also dismissed their application on the same grounds.
In dismissing the application against Mavhunga and Pfumbidzai magistrate Mahwe said: “The offence involves a large sum of money and if convicted accused persons face severe sentences and further to that it is clear there is the issue of extraterritorial investigations and the investigations are not yet complete.”
“The issue of Navistar (Insurance) bosses is not yet known and the facts disclose a strong case against the accused and both accused have international connections and knowing they have a strong case they might be tempted to flee, therefore bail is dismissed.”
Ndirowei said Chikumba and Pfumbidzai were facing serious charges and were likely to abscond if released.
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He said there was likelihood the duo could be forced to interfere with witnesses given their employment positions at the airline. Before his bail application was dismissed, Chikumba through his lawyer Admire Rubaya had told the court that he was not in any way connected to the allegations raised by the State.
Chikumba said his incarceration had been plotted by politicians who wanted to divert attention.
“These are hired guns that came in to implicate the accused in order to silence him and in the end deny paying him his dues.
“The state case has potholes and is weak as such accused cannot abscond from the jurisdiction of this court,” Rubaya said.
Pfumbidzai was represented by Andrew Muvirimi while the State was represented by Michael Reza.
