Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa's Daughter-in-Law Denied Bail in U.S.$9.3m Money-Laundering Case, Court Rules She Is a Flight Risk

What the report says

A Harare magistrate has denied bail to Kelsea Tafirenyika, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s daughter-in-law, in a US$9.3 million money-laundering case, according to a report published by New Zimbabwe and distributed by AllAfrica. The court found that she had enough financial resources to leave Zimbabwe and support herself elsewhere, and said she should remain in custody while the case proceeds.

The report says magistrate Francis Mapfumo ruled that Tafirenyika was a flight risk. Prosecutors opposed bail and argued that she had property interests outside Zimbabwe, including in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Investigating officer Gift Machipisa also told the court that authorities were working with Interpol to trace and recover assets linked to the case.

Tafirenyika denies the allegations. She has said the properties in question, valued at about US$9 million, were gifts from her husband, Collins Mnangagwa, and were part of the couple’s matrimonial assets. She also reportedly claimed her arrest was influenced by detractors of the First Family rather than the drug-related allegations.

The case has drawn wider attention because it involves a member of the president’s family and allegations tied to assets said to have been acquired through proceeds of drug-related activity. The report also notes that she was re-arrested after being released in a separate matter, and that her lawyers have challenged an identity document linked to the case.