News / National
Police refute mapostori torture claims
07 Aug 2014 at 07:08hrs | Views
Police officers, accused of assaulting and torturing some of the 37 men from Madzibaba Ishmael Mufani's Johanne Masowe eChishanu sect charged with public violence, on Wednesday refuted the allegations in a report tabled in court.
"On July 30, inquiries were carried out if there was any report made in areas where the alleged assaults are alleged to have occurred. Officers in charge of the police stations confirmed they never received reports of assault from the complainants," read the report.
The police officers said the complainants failed to name the alleged assailants and also failed to positively identify the law enforcement agents so alleged.
Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira told magistrate Tendai Mahwe the accused persons had to be further remanded despite their application to be removed from remand.
"The docket for the accused persons has been sent to the Prosecutor General's office for perusal pending trial. For the accused persons' complaints against Law and Order police officers, the enquiry and investigations are currently underway and the report would be tabled before the Prosecutor General soon, with that in mind we seek to further remand the accused persons to August 27 (sic)," said Mashavira.
Mahwe remanded the sect members to the date prescribed by the prosecutor saying: "The docket for the accused persons is now complete and would provide a trial date on their next court appearance."
Meanwhile, the legal counsel for the accused persons, Obey Shava, indicated that he would today (Thursday) make an application for the court to relax the accused persons' reporting conditions.
Allegations against the accused persons arose on May 30 when an entourage led by Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president Archbishop Johannes Ndanga, that included police officers and journalists, was beaten up by the sect members.
This was after Ndanga had read out a letter banning the church on allegations of undermining women's and children's rights.
The congregants then began singing a militant hymn before attacking the delegation.
The leader of the sect, Mufani, is still at large.
"On July 30, inquiries were carried out if there was any report made in areas where the alleged assaults are alleged to have occurred. Officers in charge of the police stations confirmed they never received reports of assault from the complainants," read the report.
The police officers said the complainants failed to name the alleged assailants and also failed to positively identify the law enforcement agents so alleged.
Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira told magistrate Tendai Mahwe the accused persons had to be further remanded despite their application to be removed from remand.
"The docket for the accused persons has been sent to the Prosecutor General's office for perusal pending trial. For the accused persons' complaints against Law and Order police officers, the enquiry and investigations are currently underway and the report would be tabled before the Prosecutor General soon, with that in mind we seek to further remand the accused persons to August 27 (sic)," said Mashavira.
Meanwhile, the legal counsel for the accused persons, Obey Shava, indicated that he would today (Thursday) make an application for the court to relax the accused persons' reporting conditions.
Allegations against the accused persons arose on May 30 when an entourage led by Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president Archbishop Johannes Ndanga, that included police officers and journalists, was beaten up by the sect members.
This was after Ndanga had read out a letter banning the church on allegations of undermining women's and children's rights.
The congregants then began singing a militant hymn before attacking the delegation.
The leader of the sect, Mufani, is still at large.
Source - Zim Mail
