Source: Accused in drugs case demands to know whistle blower – DailyNews Live
Tarisai Machakaire 11 August 2017
HARARE – A former British soldier who was busted at his Glen Lorne home
with an assortment of machinery used to make cocaine capsules and drugs is
demanding to know the whistle blower before his trial commences.
James Francis Joscelyne, 39, appeared before Harare magistrate Nomsa
Sabarauta yesterday charged with dealing in dangerous drugs.
He was a British Army soldier attached to the Queen’s regiment before he
retired and moved to Zimbabwe in 2002.
Joscelyn was represented by advocate Sylvester Hashiti who made an
application for the State to disclose the informant before he moves to
trial.
“If a case is to proceed to trial where there is a whistle blower, the
accused person has the right to know.
“We need to know so that the accused person knows how to plead and also
prepare his defence,” Hashiti said.
Prosecutor Oscar Madhume said he would have responded to the plea by
August 16 when the matter is expected back in court.
According to court papers, Joscelyne admitted during an interview that he
was processing tablets containing ecstasy powder and cocaine and selling a
capsule for $3 through an organised syndicate in Harare.
It was alleged that on July 20, detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics
division were tipped that Joscelyne was producing dangerous drugs at his
home and they raided his home after presenting a warrant to Joscelyne.
Detectives discovered in Joscelyne’s bedroom two sachets of a substance
suspected to be cocaine with a street value of $640 and 43 ecstasy
tablets valued at $129.
A bowl containing ecstasy powder and empty plastic packaging were
recovered in the kitchen.
It was further alleged that two drug processing machines; a single-punch
pill-maker and a dagga compressing machine, 25kg of micro crystalline
cellulose used in pharmaceutical tablet-making, 300 empty capsules and
food colorants were also found in the house.
The recovered drugs were taken for forensic examinations and the results
are yet to be obtained.
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