Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
DETECTIVE Kedha broke down in court on Friday forcing the magistrate to adjourn proceedings.
He was on the witness stand where he was testifying in his defence case.
Detective Kedha, whose name is Tafadzwa Chidawa, is currently in remand prison after his bail was cancelled because he defaulted court for over a year.
He broke down into tears, prompting Chief Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro to adjourn the matter to today for continuation.
He is being charged with his accomplices Paradza Passmore Matubu and Perseverance Chisango, Malvern Mutanda and Francis Takura.
Mutanda and Takura are at large.
The complainant is Melody Matanhire.
Chidawa and his accomplices defaulted court in January last year after their application for discharge was dismissed by the trial magistrate Vongai Guwuriro.
Their bail was withdrawn and he is expected in court tomorrow for trial continuation.
The court heard that Matanhire was in an adulterous relationship with Mutanda.
She was told by her lover that he was in possession of about US$100,000 soiled money, which needed some cleaning.
Mutanda said the cleaning process would require at least US$20,000 clean bills which should be mixed with soiled money and some chemicals.
The person who was to supply the US$20,000 would earn some interest or commission upon the successful completion of the process.
Acting on the misrepresentation, it is alleged that on August 27 2020, Matanhire advised Mutanda that she had managed to secure the US$20,000.
She went with Mutanda to Blue Ridge Lodge where they were going to clean the money.
She took the US$20,000 from her matrimonial home in Gen Lorne, Harare.
Unbeknown to her, Mutanda connived with Chidawa, Takura, Paradzai Passmore Matubu and Perseverance Chisango to steal from her.
The court heard that when the lovers entered Blue Ridge Lodge, Mutanda requested US$20,000.
Matanhire then handed the money to her boyfriend who then put it into a cooler box for the cleaning process to start.
Chidawa and his team then entered the lodge and manhandled Mutanda while masquerading as police officers who had been looking for him.
One of the gang members grabbed the cooler box and took Mutanda to a car. The other two took away Matanhire and then ‘released’ her.
Mutanda and his team met and shared the US$20,000.
The offence came to light after Matanhire stage managed a robbery to try and cover up for the loss to her husband.
Detectives from CID Homicide arrested Mutanda and this led to the recovery of property he had bought using his loot.
Mathew Masinge