Wife poisons businessman

Abel Zhakata Senior Reporter—

PROMINENT Mutare businessman, Mr Douglas Mutambara, has filed attempted murder charges against his wife whom he alleges to have laced his food with poison over an apparent wrangle over properties. The entrepreneur – who operates various business ventures in Marange, Bezel Bridge, Checheche, Mutare and surrounding areas under the banner Mhumhi Investments with interests in butcheries, abattoirs, grocery shops and service stations – also dragged his in-laws to the courts on allegations of stealing from his businesses.

Last Monday, the businessman made a report at Odzi Police Station under CR 02/12/16  alleging that his wife, Stellar Chigwanda, served him with food laced with a bluish rat killer poison sometime last month.

He took the sadza to the police station as an exhibit and the case has since been referred to CID Mutare’s Homicide Section for further investigations.

His wife was subsequently arrested over the allegations and taken to court on Tuesday but she did not appear in court as the docket was referred back to the police for further investigations.

The case will continue by way of summons.

Soon after filing the report against his wife, Mr Mutambara said in an interview that his life was now in danger.

“I reported that case because my life was at stake. I have problems with my wife over properties and I suspect that the poison was meant to kill me.

“She is the one who cooked and served me with the sadza that had some bluish granules that resemble rat poison.

“A lot of bad things are happening and I suspect that there are people who want to kill me and inherit my sweat when I am dead. As I am speaking now, I am no longer staying at home. I have since stopped eating from there. My life is at risk,” he said.

On Monday, Mr Mutambara hauled his brother-in-law, Tafadzwa Chigwanda (29) and his wife, Melody Maguma (28) to court for allegedly stealing cash amounting to $19 542, 83.

The suspects who were employed by the complainant appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Poterai Gwezhira facing theft of trust property charges.

They were remanded out of custody to December 23 after paying $100 bail each.

As part of their bail conditions, they were ordered to surrender their passports to the Clerk of Court and continue residing at the given address.

Allegations were that during the period extending from September 2012 to May 2016, the two were employed as salespersons at Bambazonke Business Centre by the complainant in his retail shop.

“The two were responsible for receiving hardware and grocery stock from Mutambara’s main branch at Marange Business Centre where they would book the stock in the goods received voucher. After receiving the stock the two would sell it to customers and raise receipts as proof of sale.

“The two connived and hatched a plan to steal from the complainant. They decided to remit less cash than the actual figures they would have realised after selling stock and converted the difference to personal use,” said public prosecutor, Mr Fletcher Karombe.

On Tuesday, another in-law, Farai Chigwanda (32), was also brought before the courts facing theft of trust property charges.

He appeared before Mr Gwezhira who granted him $30 bail.

The court heard that from early 2015 to May this year, the accused person was employed by the complainant as the head of operations of all complainant’s Mhumhi Investments retail branches.

“He was in charge of a company computer set and two barcode readers which he used to keep company records.

“In November last year the accused stole one barcode reader and a company computer set central processing unit.

“Complainant discovered the offence and confronted the accused to return the property. The suspect however failed to return the property.

“On December 5 the complainant reported the case to the police. Investigations were carried out leading to the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of the stolen central processing unit casing at MFS Mutare where accused purported to have left it for repairs. The hard drive of the CPU could not be recovered,” said Mr Karombe.

Value of the stolen property is $750.