Duo in court for drug possession

Paidamoyo Bore

A Harare duo yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi on charges of possession of dangerous drugs.

Armstrong Tayengwa, 33, and Joyleen Mabika, 41, were denied bail and will be back in court today for their bail application.

Allegations are that on February 5, detectives from CID Drugs received information that Tayengwa was peddling dangerous drugs at his residence in Unit N Chitungwiza.

The State said detectives went to the house and conducted a body search which yielded three sachets of crystal meth, a small digital scale and empty plastic packaging materials from his trousers pocket.

During interrogation, Tayengwa implicated Mabika as the one who had supplied him with the drugs to sell on her behalf.

This led to the arrest of Mabika, who stays at the same house with Tayengwa.

However, the duo’s defence counsel complained that the police did not treat other people that were there in the same way.

“Your Worship, my clients were the only ones searched, but there was another person present who was not searched, which showed some signs of favouritism by the police,” he said.

The defence counsel said the person not searched had drugs, but was left by the police.

Meanwhile, three other people were remanded in custody for possession of dangerous drugs.

Richard Maregedze, 40, Frank Sibanda, 27, and Simbarashe Maregedze will be back tomorrow for their bail application.

It is alleged that detectives received information that the trio was supplying dangerous drugs from their Honda Stream vehicle in Mabelreign.

A search was conducted and two sachets of crystal meth were recovered in the vehicle.

Zebedia Bofu appeared for the State.