Army disowns Mugabe dairy firm bomber – NewZimbabwe 23/03/2016
THE Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), on Wednesday, distanced itself from two serving soldiers accused of trying to bomb a dairy company said to be owned by President Robert Mugabe’s family.
Borman Ngwenya, a soldier attached Zimbabwe Intelligence Corps, had denied the charges, claiming that his employer was aware of the operation and that he was acting under the instructions of one his bosses, a Major Mashava.
Ngwenya also told court that printouts from two mobile phone companies could be produced to prove that he worked with some army officials.
However, the investigation officer in the case, Superintendent Nyambo Viera, told court that he interviewed Mashava who denied ever giving instructions to Ngwenya to bomb the company.
“He (Mashava) distanced himself from the activities of the accused,” said the Superintendent Viera.
“Instead, Mashava told me that Ngwenya was under investigations of indulging in politics.
“He said the army never give instructions for anyone to be in possession of weaponry of that nature within the proximity of such a sensitive place.”
Ngwenya is being represented by Harare lawyer Exactly Mangezi.
He is being charged together with Zimbabwe People’s Front president, Owen Kuchata, who is already serving a nine-year sentence after he was convicted at his own guilty plea.
The other alleged accomplices in the case include one Solomon Makumbe,29, and Silas Pfupa 37. Makumbe is also an army official attached to 1 Field Regiment.
Controversy has dogged the case the resulting in the Prosecutor General, Johannes Tomana being arrested after he dropped charges against Makumbe and Pfupa.
Both were promptly rearrested and charged with treason, two days after their release by Tomana’s office.
Following this development, the army sought for an order to have court proceedings held in camera and failed twice before the application was later approved.
According to the state, on January 15 police received a tip-off that the four were planning to bomb Alpha Omega Dairy’s processing plant and a tuck shop during the night.
The targeted facilities are located at Gushungo Dairy Estate, Jumbo Road in Mazowe.
Acting on the tipoff, police proceeded to the farm and laid an ambush some 100 metres from the quartet’s target.
Around 10pm, the detectives saw the men approaching the dairy’s processing plant and immediately arrested them.
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