The trial of Dennis Madondo, a 33-year-old man from Murehwa, continued yesterday, with him facing charges related to using illicit funds to purchase a car and possessing large sums of unexplained cash.
Madondo was previously cleared of involvement in a 2021 US$2.7 million armed robbery at ZB Bank. He is now accused of using illicit proceeds to acquire property.
Prosecutor Mr. Ngoni Kaseke introduced evidence from Detective Assistant Inspector Simbarashe Maruziva, the investigating officer. During the testimony, Det. Asst. Insp. Maruziva stated that Madondo had claimed to have saved US$62,500 over an eight-year period (2013 to January 2021) through various income sources. However, Maruziva noted that there was no documentation to support these claims.
“There is no evidence trail to show how he earned the money,” said Det. Asst. Insp. Maruziva, adding that Madondo could not produce records for his alleged mining ventures.
Further, Det. Asst. Insp. Maruziva rejected Madondo’s assertion that he purchased the Mercedes Benz before the armed robbery, pointing out that police records indicated the vehicle was bought in 2021 using proceeds from criminal activities. Maruziva concluded that Madondo’s financial activities appeared to be of illegal origin.
During cross-examination, Det. Asst. Insp. Maruziva noted that although Madondo was in remand prison at the time, he still had the right to request evidence to substantiate his claims. “He could have instructed his legal team to gather the necessary documentation,” Maruziva argued.
The court was also informed that Madondo had failed to provide any company registration documents or tax clearance certificates related to his supposed vehicle trading, mining syndicate, or farming activities in Murehwa.
After presenting his findings, Det. Asst. Insp. Maruziva expressed confidence in the thoroughness of the investigation.
Once the prosecution rested its case, defense attorney Mr. Austin Muzivi applied for Madondo’s discharge. A ruling on the matter is expected on February 24 from presiding magistrate Mr. Taurai Manuwere.
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