Private Investigator Chidawa to further languish in jail as defence case drags on in theft case 

By Staff Reporter

A former cop, Tafadzwa Chidawa will further languish in jail after he was remanded in custody while his defence case is dragging on.

Chidawa, popularly known as Kedha is currently locked up after his bail was cancelled for failing to appear in court for over a year.

He is jointly charged with Paradza Passmore Matubu, Perseverance Chisango, Malvern Mutanda, and Francis Takura on US$20,000 fraud allegations.

Mutanda is still on the run and Takura is serving 36 years imprisonment for robberies.

The State alleges that the suspects stole US$20,000 from one Melody Matanhire sometime in 2020.

On Monday, Chidawa took it to the witness stand to defend himself arguing that he knows nothing about the case.

Chidawa told regional magistrate Vongai Guwuriri that it is shocking that his particulars including his police officer identification cards were found in Takura’s car.

Chidawa told Muchuchuti that he only knows Takura as his former colleague at ZRP.

Takura also exonerated Chidawa accusing the police of planting the documents in his car.

“I was arrested in the Central Business District but police drove my car to Highlands police station and I only signed a seizure for the vehicle because when they searched my car they did not find anything.

“The complainant ( Matanhire) was also tried for the same offence (theft) and she was sentenced.

“I never took US$20,000 which belongs to Matanhire, I don’t know her and there is no proof to show that I met her,” he said.

He also told the court that Matanhire lied to her husband of 21 years that the money was stolen when she was spending the money with her boyfriend.

According to the State papers, Matanhire was in a relationship with Mutanda.

The court heard that on an unknown date in 2020, Matanhire told Mutanda that she had US$100,000 soiled money which needed some cleaning.

Mutanda allegedly told her that the process required US$20,000 in clean notes.

“On August 27 2020, pursuant to the misrepresentation she advised Mutanda that she had managed to secure US$20 000, she then made arrangements with Mutanda to proceed to Blue Ridge Lodge where they were going to clean the money.

“Unbeknown to her Mutanda hatched a plan with Chidawa, Takura, Paradzai Matubu and Perseverance Chisango to steal from Melody.”

The court heard that Matanharire handed over the money to Mutanda who then put it in a cooler box for the cleaning process to commence.

All other accomplices allegedly entered the lodge masquerading as police officers and manhandled Mutanda and took away the cooler box which had the money and they went away.

The hearing continues on Wednesday.

Takudzwa Jambawu is prosecuting.