News / National
7 family members kidnap, beat up police officer
23 Dec 2015 at 09:05hrs | Views
SEVEN family members including a 14-year-old girl, from Lower Gweru allegedly assaulted and kidnapped a police officer from a police station and later beat up the officer's superior, tearing his uniform in the process. The seven allegedly stormed Maboleni Police Station in Lower Gweru demanding to know the whereabouts of their 19-year-old relative who allegedly disappeared while in police custody.
They allegedly ganged up on a police officer that they found at the charge office, assaulted him before kidnapping him. They then held him for four hours.
The father of the missing child Nyashadzashe Dematema, 42, his twin brother Simbarashe, his brothers Douglas , 37 and Philemon, 38, his wife Gladys Mariwowo, 33, his daughter Tariro, 14, and Evelyn Chandu, 24, all from Musena Village appeared before Gweru Magistrate Shotgame Musaiwona facing charges of kidnapping and assaulting a police officer.
They all pleaded guilty and Musaiwona remanded them to January 12 on $100 bail each. Nyashadzashe said they were furious because his son, Kudakwashe who is a Lower Sixth pupil at Lower Gweru Adventist High School, went missing while in police custody.
Prosecuting, Bonwell Balamanje told the court that on November 25, Kudakwashe who is a boarder at the mission school, was taken to the police by his Science teacher Willard Mpofu after he allegedly broke two window panes at the school.
The court heard that he was left in custody of the police who ordered him to pay the cost of replacing the broken window panes and released him. After he was released, he allegedly went missing for five days.
Balamanje said on December 1 at around 8AM, the seven accused went to the school to look for Kudakwashe and were told he was at Maboleni Police Station.
"The accused proceeded to the police station and found Sergeant Benjamin Chinyowa at the station. Sgt Chinyowa who was the investigating officer in the case was the one who was last seen with Kudakwashe at a roadblock near the station. The accused demanded to see Kudakwashe and Chinyowa told them that he was released long back," said Balamanje.
He said on hearing this, the family members ran amok and started punching and kicking Sgt Chinyowa.
"Two of the accused later dragged Sgt Chinyowa to their house and kept him there for four hours. After releasing him they took him to the station. They went to the Officer in charge of the station Assistant Inspector Andrew Maburutse, whom they manhandled and tore his uniform, demanding their child."
Police officers later mobilised and managed to subdue the rampaging family members. Kudakwashe was later brought home by a passerby who found him wandering in the bush.
They allegedly ganged up on a police officer that they found at the charge office, assaulted him before kidnapping him. They then held him for four hours.
The father of the missing child Nyashadzashe Dematema, 42, his twin brother Simbarashe, his brothers Douglas , 37 and Philemon, 38, his wife Gladys Mariwowo, 33, his daughter Tariro, 14, and Evelyn Chandu, 24, all from Musena Village appeared before Gweru Magistrate Shotgame Musaiwona facing charges of kidnapping and assaulting a police officer.
They all pleaded guilty and Musaiwona remanded them to January 12 on $100 bail each. Nyashadzashe said they were furious because his son, Kudakwashe who is a Lower Sixth pupil at Lower Gweru Adventist High School, went missing while in police custody.
Prosecuting, Bonwell Balamanje told the court that on November 25, Kudakwashe who is a boarder at the mission school, was taken to the police by his Science teacher Willard Mpofu after he allegedly broke two window panes at the school.
Balamanje said on December 1 at around 8AM, the seven accused went to the school to look for Kudakwashe and were told he was at Maboleni Police Station.
"The accused proceeded to the police station and found Sergeant Benjamin Chinyowa at the station. Sgt Chinyowa who was the investigating officer in the case was the one who was last seen with Kudakwashe at a roadblock near the station. The accused demanded to see Kudakwashe and Chinyowa told them that he was released long back," said Balamanje.
He said on hearing this, the family members ran amok and started punching and kicking Sgt Chinyowa.
"Two of the accused later dragged Sgt Chinyowa to their house and kept him there for four hours. After releasing him they took him to the station. They went to the Officer in charge of the station Assistant Inspector Andrew Maburutse, whom they manhandled and tore his uniform, demanding their child."
Police officers later mobilised and managed to subdue the rampaging family members. Kudakwashe was later brought home by a passerby who found him wandering in the bush.
Source - Chronicle
