Harare Magistrate Victoria Mashamba has ruled that a key State witness in the matter involving the former president’s son-in-law Simba Chikore is hostile after she failed to corroborate evidence she gave to the police in June last year.
The matter in which Chikore together with one Simbarashe Mutimbe allegedly detained the former Zim Airways legal head Bertha Tsitsi Zakeyo had been postponed several times as the State was failing to compel Phillipa Philips to come and testify. Philips was allegedly contacted by Zakeyo while she was in detention and the court heard that she later went to the crime scene when the crime was being committed hence making her a key witness.
Philips however tendered a letter before court to the tune that she was compromised as she had been a colleague to both the Zakeyo and Chikore hence she could not testify. The Court however compelled her to testify citing points of law but she proved cunning as she could neither verify nor refute her statement saying she could not remember anything in line with the matter.
The court will make a ruling on applications of discharge at the close of the State’s case on April 4.Chikore is facing charges of unlawful detention. He allegedly had Zimbabwe Airways legal head Bertha Zakeyo detained for two hours at the airline’s offices in June last year. Chikore is jointly charged with Safeguard security guard Mutimbe. The two are out on $30 bail.