There is inadequate evidence to convict Henrietta ...

There is inadequate evidence to convict Henrietta Rushwaya: NPA

Zim Now Writer

The prosecuting arm does not have enough evidence to convict Zimbabwe Miners Federation boss, Henrietta Rushwaya, in her gold smuggling allegations, Chief Public Prosecutor Tawanda Zvekare has said.

Allegations are that Rushwaya was caught in 2020 at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport trying to smuggle 6.9kg of gold out of the country.

Speaking at the launch of Transparency International Corruption Perception Index report, Zvekare said the NPA was struggling to prove the allegations against Rushwaya, as well as former government Minister, Prisca Mupfumira, who is accused of corruption.

“For the serious cases which you were talking about, that’s Henrietta Rushwaya case, the Prisca Mupfumira case and like cases, I would want to say that the threshold for proving a criminal case is proof beyond reasonable doubt, which is a high threshold. It may not be discharged easily.

“As NPA, we depend on the investigators, that is the police; that is ZACC. If they give us a good docket, with enough evidence, we will not fail you. We will do our bit. But at times, we are not given good cases to prosecute, so to speak by the investigators and we would be compromised in our discharge of our mandate as prosecutors,” he said.

Rushwaya, has been cleared of the charges despite accusations of trying to bribe an airport official on allow her to travel out of the country with the gold.