Computer theft case: State witness ‘wants Mugabe to testify’




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A state witness in the trial of a Zimbabwean soldier accused of stealing at least 119 laptops from the country’s former president Robert Mugabe, has reportedly suggested that the nonagenarian be asked to come and testify in the case.

According to NewsDay, the unnamed witness told magistrate Josephine Sande that the only person who could confirm that the computers were given as a gift to the accused, Pepukai Zvakavapano, was the ex-president himself.

Zvakavapano recently told the court during his bail application in Harare that he was given the alleged stolen property by Mugabe himself.

According to New Zimbabwe.com, Zvakavapano also told the court that Mugabe could testify to support his utterances.

Zvakawapano was attached to the presidential guard section.

Reports in April indicated that Mugabe’s home in Harare was invaded, and at least 119 laptops and seven desktop computers which were in locked containers at the Polo Grounds adjacent to Zimbabwe House were stolen.

The theft was discovered when the Mugabes were moving their belongings from Zimbabwe House to their private residence in Borrowdale, NewsDaysaid at the time.

Mugabe’s top aide, Enock Nyamurima later filed a theft charge on behalf of the nonagenarian.

But, during the trial last month, the suspect’s lawyer turned the tables against Nyamurima, labelling him a suspect in the alleged break-in and theft.

According to NewsDay, Tinashe Mbala said that his client could not have stolen the gadgets as he had no access to where the computers were being kept.

Mbala said the only person who had the keys to the containers where the computers were stored was Nyamurima, who was Mugabe’s top aide.

Mbala also said that Nyamurira often collected the computers from the containers using his vehicle and, on that particular day, he could have done so without the former president’s consent.

He said that there was no way his client would have carried the laptops out of the presidential house without being noticed.

The trial has been postponed to July 5.