Minister’s Son Deemed Flight Risk to Spend the Weekend Behind Bars

Neville Mutsvangwa, son of Zanu PF bigwigs Monica and Christopher, will be spending the weekend behind bars as his bail hearing has been postponed to next week. 

Mutsvangwa, along with Ellis Majachani and Simbarashe Tichingana, is facing charges of money laundering and dealing in foreign currency. Additionally, Mutsvangwa is accused of breaching the Telecommunications Act.

The trio appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi who remanded them in custody until their bail hearing next week. State prosecutor Thomas Chanakira opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the charges. Chanakira highlighted that if convicted of money laundering, an accused could face a fine exceeding ZiG500 000 or imprisonment of 25 years.

Chanakira argued that Mutsvangwa had demonstrated a propensity to flee by hiding from police when they attempted to arrest him at his residence. He also mentioned that the accused had connections and interests outside Zimbabwe, making them flight risks.

The prosecutor urged the court not to grant bail as it could lead to interference with witnesses and investigations. He pointed out that the suspects possessed multiple foreign bank accounts and various visa cards from neighbouring countries.

Overall, Chanakira emphasized the seriousness of the charges against Mutsvangwa and his co-accused, stating that granting them bail would pose a risk of them absconding from trial or interfering with the legal process.