HARARE (BLOOMBERG) - The wife of Zimbabwean Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who was arrested during the weekend over alleged fraud and money laundering, now faces an additional charge of attempted murder.

Prosecutors accused Marry Mubaiwa of deliberately denying the vice-president medical attention at the height of his illness and unlawfully interfering with medical procedures when he finally got to a hospital.

"On 23 June 2019, the accused kept on denying the complainant access to medical treatment and the security team had to force their way to take the complainant to Netcare Hospital," according to charges read out by Prosecutor Michael Reza in the capital, Harare.

The Magistrate Court ordered Mubaiwa detained until Dec 30. She was not required to take a plea during Monday's (Dec 16) session.

Chiwenga, a possible challenger to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, returned to Harare in November after spending months in South Africa, China and India seeking treatment for an undisclosed illness. The retired general orchestrated the army intervention that toppled former President Robert Mugabe and brought Mnangagwa to power.