Nearly $1m (K725 billion) in cash was stolen from a briefcase belonging to Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe, the state-owned Herald newspaper reports.
Three people were arrested early this month for allegedly stealing US$150 000 from Mr Mugabe’s rural home in Zvimba.
But according to updated court documents, Mugabe who is now 94 says he lost close to US$1 million in cash.
The prosecution led by Mrs Kessia Teveraishe alleges that in 2016, Mr Mugabe packed books in four briefcases. He took them to his library at his homestead in Zvimba.
Mr Mugabe included a black briefcase containing US$1 million. He gave Constance Mugabe, a relative who also served as his housekeeper, the briefcase for safekeeping.
The other suspects were employed as cleaners at the time of the theft, which allegedly happened some time between 1 December 2018 and early January 2019.
Mr Mugabe, the court heard, did not tell her what the briefcase contained.
On March 1, 2018, Mugabe demanded the briefcase from Constance.
She allegedly professed ignorance about its whereabouts, but promised to look for it.
Mugabe is later alleged to have asked other staff to look for it – and this was when it was found, but with only $78,000 inside.
He had received news on how the suspects, who are now in custody, were living luxuriously
