HARARE magistrate Tilda Mazhande Thursday warned the state that she will free a bogus CIO who is accused of taking firearms to events where President Emmerson Mnangagwa officiated last year if they don’t furnish him with a trial date.

Guthrie Chirodzero has been languishing in prison since his arrest in December after he was charged for impersonation, forgery and taking a gun to a public gathering.

The state said statements from the investigating officer and other witnesses are still outstanding.

Chirodzero’s lawyer John Ndomene complained that the state was giving the same excuse since his client was detained.

The magistrate said recording of statements was not a mammoth task before she warned the state to put its house in order or she will remove him from remand when he appears in court on May 3.

Chirodzero was also caught in possession of fake Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), Zimbabwe Anticorruption Commission identity cards and a fake driver’s licence.

According to the state, Chirodzero attended the swearing in of new cabinet ministers by Mnangagwa and positioned himself close to the President while pretending to be a CIO officer.

On December 6, armed with the same fake cards and a pistol, Chirodzero went to Josiah Magamba Tongogara army barracks where the Zanu PF leader was officiating during the renaming of the former KGVI facility.

It is alleged that Chirodzero again positioned himself close to the President but was spotted by an army intelligence officer who became suspicious and confronted him.

He was asked for his purpose at the venue and Chirodzero went on to produce a fake CIO ID.

The military officer took the ID to other CIO spies for verification and it was established that the suspected hit man was an imposter.

Chirodzero had vanished from the scene upon sensing that he was in danger.

He was later apprehended and searched.

Court heard Chirodzero was found in possession of fake ID’s, a pistol and was subsequently arrested.

Sebastian Mutizirwa prosecuted.