dyton mupawaenda
Zvikomborero Parafini
THE two women, at the centre of a bizarre US$180 baby selling case, will spend more time in remand custody after a Harare magistrate ruled that they are not suitable candidates for bail.
Evelyn Zisengwe and Dion Tore have been in custody since last week.
Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa, in her findings, ruled that the duo failed to provide any plausible defence to give the court confidence that they will return to court if released on bail.
“It is my finding that releasing them would allow them to flee because their proximity to the witnesses shows that there’s a high risk of interference.
“Upon analysis, this court finds that they are facing very serious offences and the seriousness of the offence isn’t a bar to deny accused persons bail.
“However, where the State has submitted facts linking the accused persons to the offence showing compelling reasons, an accused person can be denied bail.
“The State submitted that they have no plausible defence at all and should remain in custody and it is trite law that accused persons should tell the court a plausible explanation to the offences faced.
“Zisengwe denied and said she only advised her daughter not to abort the child in question and that it wasn’t her first time to get pregnant but she couldn’t advise her daughter to illegally give her child to anyone
“Her defence doesn’t instil any confidence in the court as she linked her daughter to the buyer so the court views she will definitely abscond because she has no defence as there’s a high likelihood of imprisonment upon conviction.”
The magistrate added:
“Tore, the alleged buyer, gave mere denials without giving any plausible explanation, she should have gone further than just saying she never doctored the fake documents for the baby and as to why she’s denying the allegations.
“She has no plausible defence and there’s a likelihood of conviction so the court finds that they are not suitable candidates for bail,” she said.
Allegations are that Zisengwe and her teen daughter, who was released into the custody of social services, and Tore teamed up to traffic the teenager’s newly-born daughter through unlawful adoption.
Between May and August Zisengwe received a total of US$180 from Tore, who fabricated documents to appear as if she was the mother of the child, and the money was sent through Ecocash.
Online Reporter