Denis Madondo, one of the suspects in the US$2,7 million ZB heist has challenged the State for prosecuting him on money laundering charges yet he was acquitted of robbing the bank.

He argued that it was illogical for the State to prosecute him over the same money involved in a case he had been cleared of wrongdoing.

Madondo said this when his trial commenced before Harare magistrate Taurai Manuwere.

In the present case, the State alleges that Madondo went on a spending spree using the robbery loot.

The state alleges that he bought a Mercedes Benz worth US$9,000 and that he was found in possession of US$62,500.

Prosecutors said he failed to explain his source of funds.

Madondo denied the allegations.

He said the facts being relied on by the State were the same as those in the robbery case which he was acquitted of.

"This time around, the property is included as an exhibit in the present case of money laundering where it is suspected again that it was acquired through the commission of an unknown crime.

"Thus, insofar as the US$62,500.00 cash is concerned, the alleged act in both offences against me remains the same as that of possessing cash suspected to have been acquired through commission of a crime.

"The foregoing facts clearly indicate that, if the money laundering trial is to be allowed, I would be tried for an offence in respect of an act for which I previously have been acquitted on the merits, the act being my conduct of having in my possession the US$62,500 cash and the silver E320 Mercedes suspected to have been acquired through commission of crime," Madondo argued.

Madondo was arrested together with Tendai Zuze, Never Mwamuka and Shadreck Njowa for the alleged offence where US$2,7 million which was meant to be delivered to several ZB bank branches in Chinhoyi vanished.

Zuze was acquitted last year by the High Court on the basis that the State's evidence to link him to the crime was insufficient.