MUTARE-BASED pharmacist Douglas Nzombe Chiutsi (39), who hogged the limelight last year in a fraud case involving over US$258 000 and was incarcerated for 10 days before being released on bail, is back in remand prison.
Mutare magistrate Tendai Mahwe in June last year denied Chiutsi bail saying he was likely to interfere with witnesses as investigations were still ongoing, adding that the case was extremely complex.
Chiutsi is being accused of fleecing Healthwell Pharmacy (Pvt) Ltd trading as Clique Pharmacy of US$258 708 in an alleged well-orchestrated scam.
The pharmacist, who has since left Clique Pharmacy and is running Alleviate Pharmacy, a building away from his employer, was released following the intervention of lawyers who were pushing for an amicable settlement of the matter. He reportedly made a somersault on the agreed course of action and has since been sued at the High Court for the recovery of the stolen funds which he agreed to repay on his release.
Chiutsi is alleged to have interfered with evidence in the case which is due to for trial on February 17 this year in violation of his bail conditions.
It is the State case that on February 1 this year, Chiutsi stormed into Clique Pharmacy where a computer server containing evidence of his fraud case was under the escort of detectives from Commercial Crimes Division Northern Region led by one Detective Constable Toronga and had unlimited access to the server for about 20 minutes before abruptly leaving.
Chiutsi was arrested and brought before Magistrate Perseverance Makala on Friday last week for an inquiry into breach of bail conditions.
Prosecutor Joyce Tinarwo represented the State while Chiutsi, who declined legal representation, appeared on his own.
He denied the allegations claiming that he was at a different pharmacy not the one that used to employ him.
However, evidence placed before the court indicated that Chiutsi accessed the server at his former employer’s premises.
The court ruled that by accessing the server, Chiutsi violated his bail conditions hence his bail was revoked before he was whisked away by prison guards who took him to Mutare Remand Prison.
