Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
A Chinese waitress, who was part of the ten-member gang of Chinese nationals who were arrested at a drug fuelled sex party, pleaded not guilty to dealing in dangerous drugs when her trial opened in the capital yesterday.
Huang Zhen pleaded not guilty before Harare magistrate, Francis Mapfumo.
Prosecutors alleged that Zhen was the supplier of the drugs recovered at the premises in Newlands.
Initially, Zhen appeared in court with Yu Hefeng, Dong Yunmei, Yang Wanwan, Wu Yuejun, Yang Qin, Fang Yue, Sun Jie, Yao Wenming and Li Zhongju, who pleaded guilty and were ordered to pay US$150 fines each.
It is alleged that on September 1, detectives received a tip off to the effect that there was rampant drug abuse at number 60 Knights Bridge Road, Newlands, Harare.
Acting on the tip off, detectives went to the lodge and pounced on four male Chinese adults who were found in a lounge sniffing cocaine. The four drug abusers implicated Zhen, who was partying with others in the next lounge. Detectives proceeded into the next lounge at number 60 Knightsbridge Road, Newlands, and observed the 10 gang members taking turns to sniff cocaine placed in a wooden tray.
They were using a golden playing card to cut cocaine before sniffing individually.
The police officers introduced themselves and the purpose of their visit.
The police seized the white powder which the gang members were sniffing from the wooden tray and placed it in a transparent plastic marked one.
Detectives also seized the wooden tray and golden playing card.
Detectives went on to conduct searches on the gang and seized two transparent plastic sachets of cocaine from a small cream LVhand bag Zhen was holding.
The police also discovered benzodiazepam and crystal meth.
Through her lawyer Oliver Marwa, Zhen denied to have ever possessed, possessed for dealing nor dealt in any dangerous drugs as alleged by the State or at all.
She told Mapfumo that she is a waitress at 60 Kuitsbridge Road, Newlands Harare and on the night in question, several Chinese Nationals were partying at her place of work, and she was serving food and drinks.
She told the court that her place of work was raided by the police at night and 15 Chinese Nationals were arrested.
During the arrest there was chaos and confusion as the revellers were subdued.
In the din or confusion everyone was taken into police custody.
Zhen told the court that she was shocked at the police station the following day when it was alleged that she had allegedly possessed an LV bag with substances alleged to be drugs.
She told the court that the bag was not hers and no link has been established between her and the alleged bag, particularly that no fingerprints were lifted either from the bag or its contents, every Chinese National was asked to produce their credentials on the day and that she never signed any confirmation that the bag was seized from her.
She further told the court that detectives took video footage of the events of the night which they put in the media but conveniently have not brought it to court because it will expose their lies.
She argued that none of the Chinese nationals alleged to have implicated her are lined up to testify at this trial and she is being unfairly treated because of media backlash and over-sensationalisation of the matter particularly that the other ones were made to pay deposit fines of US$30 at Mbare Police Station while ten others were charged and fined.
She further told the court that if there were any drugs, they were brought by the visiting Chinese who were set free and now that they have been released the State should live with it.
The trial resumes on December 1.
Mathew Masinge