Chinoz cellphone trial kicks off

The trial of Thamsanqa Mahlangu, the Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Deputy Minister and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) National Youth Chairman commenced on Wednesday 26 August 2009 at the Harare Magistrates Court. 

Mahlangu, who is jointly charged with his personal assistant Malvern Chadamoyo and two Hwange ladies Geraldine Phiri and Patience Nyoni is on trial for allegedly stealing a cellphone belonging to former war veterans leader and ZANU PF member Joseph Chinotimba. 

In his evidence in chief Chinotimba, one of the State witnesses in the case told Harare Magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini sucked in Nelson Chamisa, the MDC spokesperson and Minister of Information, Communication and Technology into the case. 

Chinotimba told the court that he informed Chamisa that members of his party whom he had been seated with on the same table at a conference held last month at the Rainbow Hotel had stolen his mobile phone handset, a Nokia 2310. 

Chinotimba, who put the value of the mobile handset and sim card at US$40 and US$10 respectively said Chamisa informed him that he had enquired and engaged Mahlangu about the stolen cell phone, who informed him that he had not taken Chinotimba’s cell phone. 

Chinotimba also told the court that he had incurred a bill amounting to US$40 after the two Hwange ladies who allegedly stole his sim card made calls from his sim card. 

Two other State witnesses namely Detective Inspector Henry Sostein Dowa and Cecelia Chimbiri, the Information Officer in Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara’s Office are scheduled to testify in court on Thursday 27 August 2009.