Chiyangwa has case to answer

Chiyangwa has case to answer - magistrate

CHIYANGWA

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN business mogul and legislator Phillip Chiyangwa has been dealt a blow in his espionage case when a Harare magistrate ruled that he had a case to answer on New Year's Eve.

Lawyers representing Chiyangwa had petitioned the court to remove the businessman from remand. After they failed, they applied for bail but again this was rejected by magistrate Peter Kumbawa.

Chiyangwa who is also Presidenbt Robert Mugabe's nephew is accused of selling official State secrets to foreign governments and faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted. He is charged with three others, while a fourth has reportedly "vanished" in Europe.

Chiyangwa will now appear in court on 14 January after he was remanded in custody. The court proceedings are being held under camera due to national security concerns. No journalists or members of the public are being allowed into court.

“His application for refusal of remand has been dismissed. His application to be released on bail has also been dismissed and he has been remanded to 14 January,” Morgan Nemadire, of the Attorney General’s Office told journalists on Friday as he emerged from court.

Chiyangwa's lawyers have told the court that he had been blindfolded and tortured by his captors while in detention.

Chiyangwa's lead attorney Canaan Dube claimed the Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman was kidnapped and detained under humiliating conditions by agents from the Central Intelligence Organisation.

Dube told the court that the legislator was blindfolded and moved from place to place, detained in solitary confinement with no toilet facilities, subjected to intimidation, threats and interrogated for hours without rest.

“He was moved from place to place where it was stinking of human urine. He is a hypertension patient, a condition known to the captors,” Dube told a packed court.

“His health seriously deteriorated due to the ill-treatment to the extent that he suffered a mild stroke which was confirmed by Dr Mangwiro and a government doctor (Dr Mandishora), who both recommended he be hospitalised, but the captors ignored.”

Dube further alleged that since Chiyangwa was kidnapped, he was persistently denied access to his lawyers.

Lloyd Mhishi and Selby Hwacha is assisting Dube.
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