HARARE – Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries founder Walter Magaya is set to approach the High Court for bail following his arrest on November 1 on fraud and rape charges.
On the rape charge, the 42-year-old was on Tuesday remanded in custody to November 13 after Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa ruled that only the High Court has jurisdiction to consider bail in rape cases.
In a separate matter, Magaya faces a fraud charge alongside his wife, Tendai, and their two companies. He was remanded in custody to November 18 in that case, while Tendai was granted $500 bail.
Magaya’s lawyer, Admire Rubaya, said they had decided to apply for bail at the High Court in both cases.
Defence lawyers had on Monday asked the magistrate to make a finding that Magaya’s arrest was illegal after he was detained beyond the constitutional 48-hour limit in police custody, but Gofa said he should seek civil remedies against the police.
Magaya has been charged with five counts of rape involving two women.
Separately, he and his wife, Tendai, are facing 13 counts of fraud linked to a church housing project that allegedly never materialised.
Through their companies Planet Africa (Pvt) Ltd and Yadah Connect (Pvt) Ltd — both represented in court by Tatenda Chinguwa who is the operations manager for the two entities — the couple allegedly received $50,000 and R190,000 from homeseekers after they falsely claimed to have acquired land for residential stands and investment projects across the country, including in Chishawasha, Norton, Westgate, Fern Valley (Mutare), Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Arcturus, Ruwa, Manyame and Nyatsime.
Meanwhile, Magaya’s security aide Tapiwa Felix Chikondo, 34, was freed on $300 bail by magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzayi after he was charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice on allegations that he assaulted a police officer while trying to block Magaya’s arrest.
Chikondo, of Unit J in Chitungwiza, is a corporal in the Zimbabwe National Army. He is currently stationed at Rusununguko Holdings, an army company.
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