HARARE – Suspected illegal foreign currency dealer, Neville Mutsvangwa, was caught hiding behind bin bags after police detectives resorted to cutting the electric fence and scaling the gate to his Mt Pleasant home to arrest him, a Harare magistrates heard.

Neville is son to Zanu PF spokesman Christopher Mutsvangwa and Women’s Affairs minister Monica Mutsvangwa, seen as one of the country’s most influential couples by virtue of their positions and close links to President Mnangagwa.

The State opposed bail on the grounds of his attempts to evade arrest when the 44-year-old appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi on Friday.

Representing the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Thomas Chanakira said Neville should remain incarcerated as he has already shown tendencies of obstructing justice.

“The police officers had to apply minimum force to gain entry into his residential premises by cutting the electric fence and scaling the security wall.

“Upon gaining entry, the detectives conducted searches but could not find him.

“They had to comb through the whole yard only to find him hiding in-between the security and some sacks stacked with garbage,” the Investigating officer Blessing Mandizha said.

Neville is facing two counts involving illegal forex trade.

He is also faces money laundering and a separate charge of flouting telecommunication regulations after he was found with a Starlink router.

He is jointly charged with Ellis Majachani and Simbarashe Tichingana in the case of forex dealing and appearing alone in the internet scandal.

Bail hearing stretched until the courts closed prompting the magistrate to postpone hearing to Monday next week.

Opposing bail application, Chanakira said the three are facing a very serious offence.

If convicted, they are likely to get a 25-year jail terms or a fine not less than ZiG500,000 or both.

The court heard Neville gave the police a hard time after they obtained a warrant of search and seizure from the magistrates’ court.

They took hours trying to gain entry but he allegedly blocked them with the assistance of his wife.

At first, he demanded officers in uniform but still kept his gate locked.

The officer in charge of Malborough police station also joined the squad of detectives in an effort to gain access but he refused to open for them until they forced their way in.

It is alleged that earlier this month, CID Commercial Crimes Division Northern Region was tipped that Mimba Mlney Transfer, an unregistered company owned by Neville, was offering services as money transfer agent and dealing in currency.

Acting on this, investigations began and cops obtained a warrant of search seizure.

While they were waiting to be allowed into his premises, Tichingana arrived at the scene pretending to be a neighbour.

However, a search was done on him and the detectives recovered his phone which contained transactions which had links with Mumba Money.

When they gained entry into Neville’s residence, they also found several gadgets including laptops, cell phones and POS machines, among other gadgets linked to the alleged crime.

“The police also recovered 42 STm cards, 119 Mumba Mkney business cards, and 28 debit cards which he uses,” the court heard.

The other team of detectives visited Mumba Money offices where they met clients requesting money exchange services.

They arrested Majachani before forensics were performed.

Several gadgets allegedly used in the commission of the crime were so recovered.

“Further investigations done then revealed that the accused persons would periodically proceed to transfer the money they would have obtained via their illegal enterprise South African accounts by way of electronic transfers in a bid to launder the money,” said the State.

The police also established that Neville owned a Starlink router at his place of residence.