SUSPENDED Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) president Henrietta Rushwaya will continue languishing in remand prison after her bail appeal was turned down by High Court judge, Justice Benjamin Chikowero.
Her other accomplices believed to be part of her gold smuggling syndicate, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives Raphios Mufandauya, Steven Tserayi, and Rushwaya’s subordinate Gift Karanda were also denied bail.
Rushwaya was arrested two months ago while attempting to smuggle 6kg of gold to Dubai via the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International airport.
After she was denied bail by Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna, Rushwaya appealed at the High Court arguing Nduna had erred in denying the group bail.
But High Court Justice Chikowero ruled there was no misdirection in Nduna’s ruling.
“I can confirm that bail has been denied. I’m, however, not in a position to give full details now,” Rushwaya’s lawyer, Tapson Dzvetero said.
Rushwaya is also accused of trying to bribe police officers with US$5 000 after her arrest at the airport and is facing another charge of unlawful possession of gold.
In her appeal, Rushwaya also accused Nduna of making a ruling without relying on any evidence.
She denied having outside links arguing that all her interests were in this country, and there was no reason for her to flee.
Rushwaya said she intended to go back to work and carry on with her work as ZMF president.
“The applicant does not harbour any ambition to leave the country as she has serious interests in the land, and upon acquittal, she intends to continue with her mining business as she possesses various business interests that are sounding in real money as she has a special grant in favour of her company and is in partnership with the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation for some serious mining business,” Dzvetero told the court in the bail application.
Rushwaya is also jointly charged with Ali Mohammed, a Pakistan businessman who is out on a $100 000 bail.
