By Court Correspondent
Legal troubles surrounding the family of Collins Mnangagwa’s wife deepened on Monday after a Bulawayo court denied bail to her mother, sister and another relative facing allegations of dealing in dangerous drugs.
Amina Jassinta Jessub Arab, 47, Collins Mnangagwa’s mother-in-law; Dyonne Tanaka Tafirenyika, 28, his sister-in-law; and their relative, Noreen Jessub, 52, were denied bail by Bulawayo magistrate Taurai Manuwere.
The three were remanded in custody to September 3.
Their continued detention follows their arrest last Wednesday at a lodge in Bulawayo’s Ilanda suburb, where police allegedly recovered drugs and a substantial amount of cash from rooms occupied by the suspects.
The State alleges that two sachets of cocaine, valued at ZiG9,000, were recovered from Jessub’s room, while two other sachets of cocaine were allegedly found in Arab’s room.
Police further allege that a sachet of crystal methamphetamine, another sachet of cocaine and US$53,055 in cash were recovered from Tafirenyika’s room.
During the bail hearing, the State opposed the suspects’ release, arguing that they posed a flight risk and that there was strong evidence linking them to the alleged offences.
Investigating officer Phillimon Gumberu also alleged that the cash recovered from Tafirenyika constituted proceeds of crime, an assertion disputed by the defence.
Defence lawyer Brezhnev Mathonsi argued that the three were suitable candidates for bail, noting that their passports were already in the possession of the authorities and that investigators had collected evidence from the scene.
The defence also challenged the circumstances surrounding the alleged discovery of the drugs and questioned the strength of the prosecution’s case.
Their detention comes as Kelsea faces separate criminal proceedings in Harare, adding to a series of court cases involving members of the family.
