'Police trying to cover up Mamombe, Chimbiri abduction'

POLICE have been accused of trying to cover up the abduction of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists Joanah Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri who were found dumped in Muchapondwa village in Bindura.

This emerged in court yesterday when the activists' lawyer Alec Muchadehama was cross-examining State witness, detective Chief Inspector Morgan Chafa.

Chafa led a team of police officers to the village, where Mamombe and Chimbiri were found. He told the court that he found the activists crying, and failing to walk.

Chafa said he recorded their statements after they had been admitted at the privately-owned Parktown Hospital.

In recording the statements, Chafa said he was doing his investigations on abduction allegations.

But Muchadehama accused him of wanting to cover up the abduction allegations as that was the only time the activists ever heard from.

"Are you aware that Kazembe Kazembe (Home Affairs) your minister issued a Press statement on the accused persons allegations?" Muchadehama asked.

In response, Chafa said he was not aware.

"You were specifically mandated to make sure that their statements are regarded as not correct. After the accused persons gave you a statement, you never came back to them to advise them of the status of your investigations," Muchadehama told Chafa.

"Your so-called investigation was to cover up the abduction and true to your mandate, you found nothing on what happened to the accused persons and to date, the persons who abducted the accused persons have not been arrested."

Muchadehama said police knew the people who abducted the activists.

Chafa admitted in court that they took statements from villagers David Masungo and Obert Madzimbamuto who confirmed that the accused persons were tortured and could not walk.

The court also heard that the doctors who examined the accused persons concluded that they were terrorised, tortured and had bruises on their bodies.

The doctors also concluded that the duo, along with fellow activist Netsai Marova, were sexually abused by their abductors. Chimbiri and Mamombe face charges of faking their abduction.

They deny the charges.