The two men accused of raping socialite Ashley Masendeke, popularly known as “Mai Jeremaya” have denied the charges, claiming that one of them struck a deal with the social media star for them to have sex at a lodge in Eastlea, Harare.
Thabo Blessing Dube 27, and Martin Charlie, 25, claimed that two parties only fell out over a disagreement of how much she should be paid.
The two men were arrested at the weekend and appeared in court on Monday charged with rape.
Mai Jeremaya waived her rights to anonymity when she posted a video on social media narrating her claims that she was raped by the duo.
The State did not oppose the bail application by Dube and Charlie, which was challenged by the magistrate, who ordered the State to justify why it was not opposing bail.
On Tuesday, 06 May, the State filed its response ahead of a ruling by Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa on Wednesday (today).
The State also outlined the defence which was proffered by the duo during vetting. The two denied raping Mai Jeremaya.
In their submissions, they claimed Dube acted as an intermediary to facilitate a meeting between Mai Jeremaya and Charlie.
Charlie and Mai Jeremaya, according to their submission by the accused, met at Joina City in the Harare CBD and agreed to engage in sexual intercourse for a fee of US$20.
The accused claimed that the two then went to a lodge in Eastlea, where Charlie had consensual sexual intercourse with Mai Jeremaya.
Dube and Charlie claim she even witnessed the facilitation and payment for the accommodation offered at the lodge.
They claim she removed her clothes, kissed and had sexual intercourse with Charlie.
Dube claims he did not engage in any sexual intercourse with Mai Jeremaya, something which she is claiming.
The two claim that Mai Jeremaya demanded USS$500 in payment for her “services” and not the US$20 which Charlie offered.
According to the two accused persons, after the sexual act, Mai Jeremaya even took a shower, took the US$20 she was offered by Charlie and was accompanied to a taxi by the duo.
Two days later, the two claim she dispatched a private investigator, Tafadzwa “Detective Kedha” Chidawa, to allegedly extort funds from them.
It is claimed that Chidawa located the duo and took them to Mayambara in Seke.
When the parties refused to pay the money, a decision was then made to make a report of rape.
The two claim that the rape report was only made after they refused to pay any amount.
In its submissions filed on Tuesday, the State justified its consent to bail and said it had no compelling reasons to warrant the pre-trial detention of the two suspects.
Magistrate Gofa rejected the consent and questioned why the duo wasn’t also charged with aggravated indecent assault as they are alleged to have forced the complainant to engage in oral sex with them.
The State agreed that the court raised important issues and submitted that the facts suggest that charges of aggravated indecent assault could have been preferred against the accused.
More: HeraldOnline
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