POLICE in Bulawayo have arrested a suspected illegal gold dealer after raiding a house in Killarney suburb where 2,78 kilograms of gold worth more than US$125 000 was found hidden in a safe.
Talent Mumpande (28) of Hillside suburb pleaded not guilty to a charge of possession of gold without a permit in violation of the Gold Trade Act when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Shepherd Mjanja yesterday.
He was remanded in custody to today for ruling on his bail application.
Prosecuting, Mr Terrence Chakabuda said on June 15 at around 12:40 PM, acting on a tip off, five detectives went to a house in Killarney where Mumpande kept the gold.
“Detective Assistant Inspector Ndlovu, Detective Sergeant Maramwidze, Detective Sergeant Jonhera, Detective Sergeant Chiripano and Detective Constable Chagweda all stationed at CID Minerals Flaura and Fauna Unit crack team based in Harare, received information that Mumpande was dealing in gold at a house in Killarney. Acting on that information, the detectives proceeded to the given address and upon arrival they introduced themselves to the accused person,” he said.
Mumpande led the police into the house to conduct the search.
They searched the dining room first before proceeding to the bedroom where they asked him to open a safe.
The court heard that when Mumpande opened the safe, detectives found a neatly wrapped plastic bag 2,78 kilograms of gold valued at US$125 477.
Mumpande was asked to produce a license authorising him to possess the gold and he produced an expired permit leading to his arrest.
In his application for bail through his lawyer, Mr Lawrence Chikwakwa of Sansole and Senda Legal Practitioners, Mumpande argued that there were no compelling reasons proffered by the State warranting his continued detention.
Mr Chikwakwa dismissed the State’s assertion that his client was likely to abscond if released on bail.
“Your Worship, all the country’s borders are closed due to Covid-19 pandemic making it impossible for my client to skip.
In fact, he harbours no intentions of skipping the borders and has no record of border jumping and the State has failed to substantiate its claims in that regard,” he said.
Mr Chikwakwa said the accused person is innocent until proven guilty and has a constitutional right to bail pending trial.
Mr Chakabuda opposed the bail, saying the accused person was likely to abscond as the State has a strong prima facie case against him.
