President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s daughter-in-law, Kelsea Tadiwa Tafirenyika, and her uncle, Isaac Jessub, have been denied bail after a Harare magistrate ruled they could pose a danger to society if released.
Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa denied the pair bail on Thursday, saying the allegations involved dangerous drugs and that no conditions were strong enough to prevent them from fleeing or committing similar offences.
“The society should be protected by keeping the accused persons locked,” Gofa said.
She also said Tafirenyika was a flight risk after allegedly being found in possession of identity documents in another name.
“There is prima facie evidence of identity documents of Kelsea Tafirenyika as she uses another document in the name of Gertrude Badza. This indicates she is a flight risk,” she said.
The magistrate rejected Tafirenyika’s claim that the drugs had been planted, saying the circumstances of Jessub’s arrest and his subsequent link to her undermined that argument.
The State, represented by Lancelot Mutsokoti, alleges that Jessub was involved in the sale of dangerous drugs and kept drugs in a Mercedes-Benz, while Tafirenyika allegedly kept drugs at her Greystone Park home and inside her white Lamborghini.
The court heard that on 4 August, police received information that Jessub was dealing in drugs and placed him under surveillance.
Investigating officer Nivert Charuma told the court that officers observed him sitting in the driver’s seat of a Mercedes-Benz and repackaging ampoules into two envelopes.
Police approached him, identified themselves and told him they intended to search him for dangerous drugs. Charuma said Jessub consented to the search, during which officers allegedly recovered 13 ampoules of morphine and five ampoules of pethidine.
They also allegedly recovered empty boxes for morphine and pethidine, as well as two 100ml bottles of Broncleer from beneath the driver’s seat.
According to the State, questioning Jessub about the source of the drugs led investigators to Tafirenyika, who is his niece.
Prosecutors allege Jessub told police she had supplied him with the drugs and that he sold them at Sam Levy Village in Borrowdale.
Police then raided Tafirenyika’s home at about 8 pm and allegedly found her seated on her bed counting ampoules and placing them on the bed.
The prosecution alleges that officers recovered eight ampoules of Fresenius Pethidine, 10 ampoules of Verpat Pethidine and seven 1ml ampoules of Fresenius Morphine Sulphate from her bed.
A further search of bedroom drawers allegedly uncovered 72 ampoules of Verpat Pethidine, 64 Fresenius Pethidine ampoules and 43 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate.
Five rolls of dagga were also allegedly found concealed in the driver’s armrest of her white Lamborghini parked in the yard.
The State said the seized drugs were valued at US$204 and alleged that some of the pethidine was intended for foreign markets, suggesting Tafirenyika had foreign links she could use to evade prosecution.
The matter was postponed to 27 August to allow for further investigations as the two await trial.
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