Source: Anonymous caller ‘blew whistle on alleged drug dealer’ – DailyNews Live
Tarisai Machakaire 17 August 2017
HARARE – Prosecutor Fransisca Mukumbiri yesterday advised the court that
an anonymous caller exposed details that led to the arrest of ex-British
soldier busted with cocaine making machinery at his Glen Lorne home.
James Francis Joscelyne, 39, appeared before Harare magistrate Nomsa
Sabarauta yesterday for trial continuation on charges of dealing in
dangerous drugs.
Joscelyne – represented by advocate Sylvester Hashiti – had 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 promised to respond to the plea by August 16 when
the matter was expected back in court.
Joscelyn had asked the investigating officer Brighton Samaneka to be
ordered to trace the particular call before furnishing the court with
details of the informant.
This was after Samaneka indicated that the whistle blower was a man who
refused to proffer further particulars when he tipped police.
“The person refused to name himself and the safety of informers is our
responsibility hence naming them would jeopardise that confidentiality,”
Samaneka said yesterday.
Hashiti responded: “I formally move that an order directing police to
carry out investigations on calls received between 8 and 9am on July 19.
They must furnish the court with the call log and details of each call.
How can you want to safeguard the safety of informers that you have said
you do not know?”
The application will be determined by Sabarauta today.
Joscelyn was a British Army soldier attached to the Queen’s regiment
before he retired and moved to Zimbabwe in 2002. According to court
papers, Joscelyne has since renounced his Zimbabwean citizenship and
allegedly admitted during an interview that he was processing tablets
containing ecstasy powder and cocaine, 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.
It was alleged that detectives searched the house 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 dagga compressing machine, 25kg of micro crystalline
cellulose used in pharmaceutical tablet making, 300 empty capsules and
food colourants 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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