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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
A 39-year-old Harare woman who was arrested at the Harare International Airport with 274 grams of cocaine worth about $22 000 hidden between her buttocks today appeared in court.

Fungai Maguta was coming from Brazil aboard a United Arab Emirates Flight EK 713.

She was granted bail at the High Court.

Her lawyer Mr Tungamirai Muganhiri alleged that his client’s constitutional rights were violated after the court proceeded to trial in his absence.

In his ruling, Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube said if a lawyer decided to vanish, it was not the court’s fault.

“When the matter was set down for trial, the lawyer was aware,” she said. “Double booking of clients is a clear act of misconduct.”

Mr Muganhiri then recused himself and told the court that he was no longer able to represent his client in light of the ruling.

“May the matter be postponed so that I hand over papers to my client and advise her on how to proceed since she is now a self-actor,” he said.

In her defence, Maguta told the court that she went to Brazil to buy hair pieces for resale.

“Upon my return, I was searched by a CID official at the airport,” she said. “They said they were informed that I was carrying cocaine. I denied those allegations.

“The police officers threatened me. Two female police officers took me to a toilet and ordered me to remove my clothes. I had to remove a sanitary pad for them to search my private parts. They said they got what they wanted. I asked them who their informant was and they said it was none of my business.”

The prosecutor Ms Francesca Mukumbiri alleged that on February 3, at around 1000hrs, CID Drugs and Narcotics received information that Maguta was trafficking cocaine.

Detectives checked the passenger manifest and obtained Maguta’s name as she was coming from Brazil aboard United Arab Emirates Flight EK 713.

It is alleged that at around 4pm, Flight EK 713 landed and its passengers went into the arrival hall for clearance.

Detectives spotted Maguta while she was stamping her passport and they started monitoring her movements.

The court heard that she collected her luggage, a silver suitcase and cleared it with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).

She was intercepted while walking towards the exit and the police searched her bag and found nothing of interest.

Maguta was escorted to CID offices at the airport and two female police officers took her to a public toilet for a body search.

A sachet containing white powder wrapped in cello tape was found starched between her buttocks.

Detectives proceeded to Harare Central CID offices where the powder tested positive for cocaine.

The cocaine weighed 274 grams and its worth $21 920.

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