Tumelo Nare, a HARARE model who was allegedly caught with cocaine in a hotel room, appeared in court yesterday, where new details of the offense were revealed.
Nare and her co-accused Precious Bango appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi.
Liberty Gono, a Harare lawyer, is representing the two.
He described how they met Jason Leeroy Pamhidzai, whom they claim was using the drugs found in the hotel room.
Gono testified in court that Nare met Bango, who was with Pamhidzai, on their way home from a popular Chisipite club.
Pamhidzai graciously invited them to his hotel room.
“When they got to the hotel, Pamhidzai bought them beers and he started sniffing a whitish substance, which they didn’t know what it was, at the time.
“As he was sniffing this substance, Nare, who suffers from fits, began having seizures and started bleeding from the nose.
“This prompted Pamhidzai to run away from his room and Bango started running in the corridor looking for help.”
Added the lawyer: “The accused persons have given a solid defence and if they are successful, they aren’t going to be convicted.
“They are willing to have video evidence from the hotel played in court.
“It’s denied that the State has solid evidence.
“The two aren’t denying that the substance recovered is cocaine because they didn’t consume it.
“The room was booked under Jason Leeroy Pamhidzai’s name and the substance was found on a table, not on their person, hence there’s no physical or mental possession.”
In motivating the court to grant the two bail, Gono added that there were no compelling reasons warranting further detention of the two pending trial because they never attempted to flee.
They were not participating in any illegal activity, said the lawyer.
Magistrate Mangosi asked Gono to explain the allegation that the two were running in the corridors naked.
He told the court that it was a lie and referred to the affidavit filed by the investigating officer, which stated that Nare was wearing a bloodied t-shirt, while Bango had a towel pouring water on Nare.
Prosecutor Zebedia Bofu opposed bail arguing that the drugs were recovered from their hotel room and Nare had got into a trance after consuming the drugs.
Bail ruling will be made today.
In other news,
MODEL ‘Tumelo Nare’ NABBED WITH COCAINE
Top model Tumelo Nare took an overdose of cocaine and fell into a trance before walking nσked in the corridors of a prime hotel in the capital, a Harare court heard yesterday.
Nare appeared before magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure facing charges of unlawful possession of illegal drugs.
Tumelo Nare (26) is being charged alongside, Precious Bango…read more
