Mujuru family calls for SA forensic expert to question local pathologist

THE family of the late former army General Solomon Mujuru has  requested the court to call in South African forensic expert to question the local pathologist who examined the remains his remains.

The family said should questions arise, they might apply for the exhumation of the remains to enable the South African  expert to conduct another examination.

This came out during the ninth day of the inquest into the death of Gen Mujuru at the Harare Magistrates' Courts.

Gen Mujuru died in an inferno at his farmhouse in Beatrice in August last year, but policemen who testified yesterday ruled out foul play.

Presiding magistrate Mr Walter Chikwanha read out a letter from the family lawyer Mr Tekhor Kewada seeking a second pathological opinion.
He then asked Mr Kewada to justify the need for another pathologist and to state whether they had already found one.

Mr Kewada confirmed that he indeed wrote the letter on the family's behalf and said the justification will be that various experts have different opinions.

"There is always another possibility of another expert giving a different opinion on the cases of death from such circumstances," he said.

"From viewing records, the second pathologist may come to a different conclusion. My application is about calling a South African expert Dr Perumel. He has indicated he would be free to come to Zimbabwe."Mr Kewada said Dr Perumel may or may not agree with the first pathologist and questions could arise.

"The question is whether the body be exhumed or not," he said.

"I can only rely on what the experts would tell us. We are reliant on the opinion of the pathologist."

In response, Mrs Sharon Fero from the Attorney-General's Office confirmed receipt of the letter from Mr Kewada, but the State thought the family wanted the pathologist to help in questioning the evidence of the local pathologist Dr Gabriel Alviero.

Mr Chikwanha concurred with the State and said he had no application for exhumation of the remains before him.

He will rule on whether or not Dr Perumel should come in to help question Dr Alviero on Monday.

Earlier, the 28th witness in the inquest, Chief Supt Crispen Makedenge, said he requested printouts from Econet and Netone to have a look at his calls history.
He said he got the printout on September 14 of Gen Mujuru's 0773 411 909 number, but the Netone line had been terminated.

Asked the time when Gen Mujuru last made a call, Chief Supt Makedenge said on August 15 at around 2:56pm to number 0773 381 920.

He said on the same day, Gen Mujuru received a call at around 6pm from a UK number +44208640236.

Chief Supt Makedenge said they initially thought the number of firearms recovered was 17, but when they were reassembled, 15 firearms came out.
He said others were parts to firearms.

Chief Supt Makedenge ruled out that evidence was destroyed and said all the firearms recovered were registered in Gen Mujuru's name except for the AK47 rifle.

Mr Kewada asked Chief Supt Makedenge why the General changed his parking spot on the day in question, preferring to park on the opposite side and labour himself by going round the house and use the kitchen entrance to get into the house.

Chief Supt Makedenge said no one could give them the answer during investigations.

Mr Chikwanha asked how they managed to identify Gen Mujuru's remains and Supt Makedenge said it was through taking a blood sample from his daughter Kumbirai and matching from his tissue.
He said the match was 99 percent.

Asked how the General met his death, Chief Supt Makedenge said he inhaled carbon monoxide.

"We do not have evidence that there was foul play even from reports I got from Zesa, Fire Brigade, Forensic Science and the post-mortem."

Detective Inspector Admire Mutizwa, the 29th witness in the inquest from the ZRP forensics, said he examined the 15 firearms and the 6kg of ammunition found in the house.
He said the ammunition exploded as a result of heat and they took two days examining the cartridges.

Detective Insp Mutizwa said all the rifles were commercial, except for the AK47, saying most farmers were entitled to have them.

Asked by the General's nephew Mr Mudiwa Mundawarara on the origins of the AK47 rifle, Detective Insp Mutizwa said he could have got it from the army given his status.

Gen Mujuru's first born child Kumbirai said on the day in question, she arrived at the farm around 3:30am with her siblings after Maria Musona informed her of the incident.

She confirmed that the blood sample was taken by a police doctor which was to be matched with her father's tissue.

Kumbirai said up to now, she does not know the results of the tests.

Dr Edward Fusire, the 31st witness who is employed by ZRP, said he is the one who took blood samples from Kumbirai which he handed over to Chief Supt Makedenge for matching.

He also said he did not know the outcome of the tests.