Notorious Medicine Thieves Granted Bail
Austen went to a Honda Fit vehicle which Mutasa was driving, pretending to be taking money to pay, and they sped off.
Two men Daniel Mark Austen, 39, a foreign national, and Nyasha Mutasa, 31, appeared in court on fraud charges involving US$3,000 worth of medicine.
The pair were each granted $25 000 bail when they appeared before Harare magistrate Caroline Matanga. The duo denied the allegations through their lawyer, Kudakwashe Munyoro. The court heard that on November 30 last year at around midday, Austen phoned the complainant’s friend, Patience Hanyani, saying his clients wanted pain ease tablets.
Hanyani referred Austen to the complainant, Elenera Chimonyo. Chimonyo drove to Msasa where Austen and Mutasa were. Chimonyo had gone to deliver 70×120’s boxes of the tablets. Austen and another accomplice – still on the run – took delivery of the tablets, loaded them into their Mercedes Benz gateway car.
After loading the boxes, Austen went to a Honda Fit vehicle which Mutasa was driving, pretending to be taking money to pay, and they sped off. Chimonyo tried to chase them, to no avail, and she made a police report.
Austen’s luck ran out when he was brought to the police facing a similar case, but different product. Chimonyo, who was being interviewed at the police station, then saw Austen and positively identified him.
Faith Mavhudzi led the State.
