Gold smugglers’ case set for January 13

gold2Beitbridge Bureau
The trial of three men arrested last year as they tried to smuggle to South Africa seven kilogrammes of gold worth about US$270 000 has been set for January 13.

Simbarashe Kangara of Warren Park 1, Osten Chitate from Chisipite and Munyaradzi Tatenda, a Bindura resident, were arrested on August 23 last year in Beitbridge travelling in a Toyota Harrier.

They had stashed the 7,269kg of gold in a modified windscreen wiper compartment of their vehicle.

Kangara and his accomplices denied charges of contravening sections of the Gold Trade and Customs and Excuse (Smuggling) Act when they initially appeared before Mr Innocent Bepura.

They are all out of custody on US$400 bail and were ordered to reside at their given addresses, surrender their travel documents, not to interfere with State witnesses and to report to Warren Park, Highlands and Bindura police stations respectively once a week.

Through their lawyers, Graciano Manyurureni of Manyurureni and Co Legal Practitioners and Albert Nyamupfukudza and Nyamupfukudza Legal Practitioners, the suspects denied the charges of smuggling arguing that they were not aware that the Toyota Harrier had gold hidden in a wiper component.

The suspects were denied bail by the lower court but were granted freedom by the High Court. Their bail application was opposed on the grounds that Chitate had given investigators a false residential address and that the vehicle was registered in the name of Carlson Mpofu, not Kudzanai Kangara, as alleged.

Prosecutor Mr Foster Abheki told the court that on August 23 last year at around 6am, the trio arrived at Beitbridge Border Post in a Toyota Harrier (registration number ADJ3594) being driven by Simbarashe Kangara. The car was searched and gold worth us$268 953 was found.

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