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Suspended Zimbabwe Miners Federation president Henrietta Rushwaya has denied that the gold found in her possession at RGM International Airport belonged to her.
Through her lawyer, Tapson Dzvetero, Rushwaya revealed that she carried the wrong bag on her way to Dubai.
She was arrested last Monday at the airport after scanners detected six kilogrammes of 99,99 percent pure gold valued at US$333 000 stashed in her luggage.
Upon arrest she implicated Ali Japan 786 owner, Ali Mohammed. She produced a commercial invoice linking Mohammed to the precious metal.
During cross examination of the investigating officer, detective Chief Inspector Michael Chibaya, Rushwaya’s lawyer Dzvetero submitted that his client had told detective Bruno Chiketo, the initial investigating officer, that the bag found in her possession with gold was similar to another bag she was supposed to carry out of the country.
“A wrong bag had been put into her vehicle and she had no knowledge of the bag’s contents until the scanners detected the gold at Robert Mugabe International Airport,” Dzvetero said.
Chibaya said he was not aware of this fact as he had not interviewed Chiketo because he feared falling into a trap set to nab Chiketo’s superiors who allegedly tempered with the docket that incriminated Mohamed in the case.
Dzvetero also stated that Rushwaya felt that there was politics at play following the transfer of her case from CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit to the CID Law and Order section which mainly deals with political issues.
“The first accused (Rushwaya) now feels being played a political victim in this matter. Once the case was transferred to CID Law and Order section, allegations of the First Family’s name dropping arose.”
Chibaya denied any political involvement by asserting that his section also dealt with other matters that were not related to politics and that the case is now at CID Law and Order because of an administrative issue, a query which can only be answered at Police General Headquarters.
Dzvetero then produced a gold buying agent certificate issued to Rushwaya by Fidelity Printers and Refiners, proving that she was indeed licensed to possess gold.
Chibaya responded by stating that he wanted that proved on authority and besides that, the issuer of the certificate has set conditions on how its possessor should handle gold.
He asserted that the permit does not outline any stage for one to export gold without the authority of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) taking into cognisance the place Rushwaya was arrested from.
Chibaya will continue testifying under cross examination tomorrow as the case was rolled over due to want of time by magistrate Ngoni Nduna. Nhau/Indaba
