happiness Chikwanha
Senior Court Reporter
MAGISTRATE Morgan Nemadire, who is alleged to have leniently fined a Venezuelan $700 for carrying 5kg cocaine worth US$469 000 in her luggage from Brazil into Harare, was yesterday freed on $5 000 bail.
Nemadire was released after appearing before Harare regional magistrate, Mr Ngoni Nduna, facing charges of criminal abuse of office.
He was not asked to plead to the charges and was remanded to February 3, 2021 for his routine remand.
Prosecuting, Messrs Lancelot Mutsokoti and Terrence Mukuza alleged that on October 25, 2018 Delcy Daymar Rodriguez arrived at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport aboard an Ethiopian Airways from Brazil at around 5pm.
She was then intercepted by the police at the airport and was found with whitish a powder wrapped in a Rexene material.
The white substance was taken for forensic tests whose results confirmed it was cocaine.
It then weighed 5,863kg with a street value of US$469 040.
Rodriguez then appeared in court for unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs, or acquiring or possessing dangerous drugs.
After the trial, Nemadire ruled that the bag which contained cocaine belonged to Rodriguez but the evidence did not show she was dealing in cocaine.
Nemadire acquitted Rodriguez on dealing with dangerous drugs, and got away with a $700 or seven months behind bars if she failed to pay.
An additional five years were wholly suspended on condition she does not commit a similar offence within that period.
Online Reporter