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Nyore Madzianike-Senior Court Reporter 

THE wife of one of the suspected robbers, who was involved in the ZB Bank US$2,5million cash-in-transit heist early this year has appeared in court charged with money laundering after she was found in possession of US$52 000 believed to be part of the loot.

Revai Muza (33), wife to suspected armed robber, Andrew Zigara, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court jointly charged with her husband’s uncle, Jephius Kufandada (36).

Muza and Kufandada are both from Masvingo.

The two were not asked to plead to the charges when they appeared before regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje, who remanded them out of custody to June 8.

They are both charged with money laundering.

The State led by Mr Malvern Mapako alleges that after the January 6 armed robbery and sharing of the money, Zigara went to his lodgings in Beatrice where he showed his wife the money.

On the following day, Zigara left home for an unknown destination where he called his uncle, Kufandada telling him that he wanted to buy five houses in Masvingo.

Zigara is said to have told his uncle that he had sold ivory and gold.

Kufandada is said to have approached an estate agent, Emily Musengi of Emtac Venture in Masvingo, and he was shown houses in Mucheke B and Rujeko C.

Both houses were selling for US$50 000 inclusive of conveyancing fees.

On January 11, Kufandada called Zigara asking him whether he was still interested in the houses and was told that his wife was visiting him with the money. On the following day, Zigara gave his wife US$50 000 and told her to meet Kufandada whom she gave the money. Muza and Kufandada went to meet the agent and the two houses were paid for including all the conveyancing fees.

The court heard that Zigara, his wife and Kufandada failed to agree on whose name was the houses would be registered in when agreement of sales were being done.

They agreed that a house in Mucheke B be registered in Kufandada’s name while they were to agree on under whose name the Rujeko C house would be registered.

The court heard that Zigara later called Kufandada and advised him to watch ZBC-TV news if he wanted to know the source of the money which was used to buy the two houses.

Zigara allegedy confessed to Kufandada that he was involved in the January 6 heist.