'Police Support Unit killed prison inmates'

Lucky Mhungu, one of the prisoners accused of inciting and masterminding the attempted jailbreak at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison earlier this year, told Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo on Friday that riots broke out after members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police's Support Unit shot and killed more than five inmates, who were complaining over a poor diet and deteriorating living conditions.

Mhungu made the allegations while giving his defense outline on charges of inciting and masterminding the foiled jailbreak at the prison in March this year.

Mhungu said the inmates tried to make a call using a smuggled mobile phone belonging to one of the inmates to let the outside world know about the shootings, but there was no network at the time.