The Sunday News
THE docket for the murder case in which four people were killed in Binga in a suspected ivory deal early last year is yet to be complete nearly two years after the gruesome murder, with police said to be still investigating the matter before bringing it to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for trial.
Four suspects, Japhet Muleya (33), Lovemore Mudenda (38), Hardlife Dube (20) and Robert Muleya (31) are on remand facing allegations of committing the heinous act.
The quartet was arrested in January last year, a week after allegedly committing the offence and was placed on remand at the Binga magistrate courts before their transfer to Hwange.
Four terms of the Bulawayo High Court which has the jurisdiction to try the matter have passed without it being brought for trial, despite the fact that the suspects have been languishing in remand prison.
An inquiry into the matter has revealed that the police were still to complete the murder docket for the quartet.
Reliable sources said it was proving to be difficult to get evidence to nail the suspects.
Police in Matabeleland North promised to make a follow up on the matter and give Sunday News an update but could not do so by yesterday and efforts to get a comment from national police spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.
However, a source in NPA who spoke to the paper on condition of anonymity as she had not been cleared to speak to the Press, confirmed that indeed police were still busy with investigations on the murder case.
“It’s true the case is still being investigated by the police. Initially the docket was brought here in Harare for perusal but it was referred back as it was discovered that there were some further investigations which needed to be done so that the case is water tight,” she said.
She said a better position on the investigations would be known next month.
“Check with me end of August, we will be in a better position to give details on latest developments. You understand the way the murder was committed there is a need to make thorough investigations so that we would not be found wanting during trial. A case of such magnitude should have a strong nexus between the commission of the offence and the suspects. We should not leave any grey areas when it’s going for trial,” she said.
The suspects are being accused of gunning down Alvin Nyirenda, Mthulisi Leon Ndlovu, Nkosana Mdlongwa and Sithembinkosi Moyo using a high-powered rifle in the early hours of January 6 2014.
All four were found with gunshot wounds near Ngongonye Bridge on Nkonkane River, 15km from Manjolo business centre in Binga.
Nyirenda and Moyo’s bodies were found inside a white Isuzu pick-up truck registered in Mdlongwa’s name, who is believed to have had links with poaching syndicates.
The four are believed to have been killed elsewhere and brought to the area where the truck was pushed off the bridge in a bid to fake a traffic accident.
Mdlongwa’s body was found nearby on the riverbed, while Ndlovu’s had been decapitated and found some 1,5km away from the staged accident scene, in a field.
