Neville Mutsvangwa, son of top Zanu PF officials Monica and Christopher Mutsvangwa, has been remanded in custody alongside co-accused Ellis Majachani and Simbarashe Tichingana. The trio appeared before Harare Magistrate Dennis Mangosi on charges of money laundering, dealing in foreign currency, and breaching the Telecommunications Act.

The prosecution, led by Thomas Chanakira, opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the offenses and the risk of flight. Chanakira highlighted that the offenses carry severe penalties, including imprisonment of up to 25 years.

Neville Mutsvangwa and his co-accused will spend the weekend behind bars as their bail hearing was pushed to next week. The prosecution expressed concerns about potential witness tampering and interference with investigations. They pointed out that the accused have connections and interests outside Zimbabwe, as evidenced by foreign bank accounts and travel documents, including an Estonian identity card found in Mutsvangwa’s possession.

The investigating officer, Blessing Mandizha, corroborated the prosecution’s version of events, describing the difficulties encountered during the arrest and the seizure of evidence. The officer also expressed concerns about the potential for witness intimidation and interference with the investigation.

The bail hearing has been set for next week, and the defense will have the opportunity to respond to the prosecution’s concerns and present their case for bail.