Harare, Zimbabwe | The two men who are accused of sexually assaulting socialite Mai Jeremaya have been freed on bail, after prosecutors did not object to their release during an appearance in court on Tuesday.
Thabo Blessing Dube (27) and Martin Charlie (25) who were arrested over the weekend for a suspected case of sexual assault, were released after prosecutors declined to pursue their further detention, claiming the risk of the pair absconding was low.
The two, claimed they had met at Joina City in the Harare CBD and agreed to engage in sexual intercourse for a fee of US$20.
They then went to a lodge in Eastlea, where Charlie had consensual sexual intercourse with Mai Jeremaya. Things went sour when Mai Jeremaya demanded that she should be paid US$500 and not the US$20 which Charlie offered.
“She wanted US$500 but we had agreed on US$20,” the accused told the court, according to papers filed with the State. She knew she was at a lodge for sex,” they added.
Mai Jeremaya would later engage private investigator, Detective Kedha, to recover the money she felt that she was owed.
“She later sent a private investigator, Detective Kedha, to try and get the money. When we refused, a rape report was then made,” the statement read.
Despite the seriousness of the case, the State said there were no compelling reasons to refuse the duo bail.
“It is the State’s view that such forceful and convincing reasons, which will make the court feel very strongly that the accused should not be released on bail, do not exist.
“The State does not have any well-founded fears that if released on bail, the two will abscond and not attend their trial, they are of fixed abode shown by their residential addresses on the face of the Request for Remand form.
“They do not have any known previous convictions or pending cases before the criminal courts and they did not exhibit any conduct from which any inclination to abscond can be inferred.”
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