News / National
Mujuru may have died before the fire broke out
31 Jan 2012 at 08:02hrs | Views
Harare â€" Allies of retired General Solomon Mujuru wants a prominent South African private forensic pathologist, Dr Reggie Perumal to get to the bottom of what happened to the former army commander as information filtering suggests he may have died before a fire broke out at his Beatrice farmhouse on August 16 last year.
Mujuru's family lawyer, Thakor Kewada last week requested that Perumal be allowed to quiz local pathologists and forensic experts at the ongoing inquest into the general's death which enters day 10 tomorrow.
The late general's allies who spoke to The Standard on condition of anonymity yesterday said there was no evidence to prove that Mujuru died from inhaling carbon monoxide as stated in a pathologist report presented to the ongoing inquest into the general's death.
He made startling claims that one of Mujuru's legs was broken, which was not possible unless there was use of physical force.
"A fire cannot break a bone into two unless in the event of a severe trauma including torture," said the medical doctor.
Another expert, an emergency and trauma physician, confirmed that if a person dies from asphyxiation, especially involving carbon monoxide, the lungs turn dusky grey in colour.
He said carbon monoxide is toxic to the body as it injures the brain tissue and suppresses the central nervous system, causing someone to become unconscious and the body to shut down.
The physician said it was highly impossible for the human bone to break into pieces because of fire.
"You cannot have a clear-cut fracture," said the doctor. "You can have the erosion and disintegration of tissue, but it (bone) will remain as ashes rather than anything else."
The doctor was however, quick to add: "As the General tried to escape, he could have fallen over and could have developed a proper fracture from there."
Investigating officer, Chief Superintendent Crispen Makedenge of CID Law and Order section, however, ruled out foul play saying pathologist reports have shown that he died from carbonisation, meaning there was inhalation of carbon monoxide.
He also said the charred remains belonged to Mujuru, according to DNA tests which matched the blood samples from Mujuru's daughter, Kumbirai.
Mujuru's family lawyer, Thakor Kewada last week requested that Perumal be allowed to quiz local pathologists and forensic experts at the ongoing inquest into the general's death which enters day 10 tomorrow.
The late general's allies who spoke to The Standard on condition of anonymity yesterday said there was no evidence to prove that Mujuru died from inhaling carbon monoxide as stated in a pathologist report presented to the ongoing inquest into the general's death.
He made startling claims that one of Mujuru's legs was broken, which was not possible unless there was use of physical force.
"A fire cannot break a bone into two unless in the event of a severe trauma including torture," said the medical doctor.
Another expert, an emergency and trauma physician, confirmed that if a person dies from asphyxiation, especially involving carbon monoxide, the lungs turn dusky grey in colour.
The physician said it was highly impossible for the human bone to break into pieces because of fire.
"You cannot have a clear-cut fracture," said the doctor. "You can have the erosion and disintegration of tissue, but it (bone) will remain as ashes rather than anything else."
The doctor was however, quick to add: "As the General tried to escape, he could have fallen over and could have developed a proper fracture from there."
Investigating officer, Chief Superintendent Crispen Makedenge of CID Law and Order section, however, ruled out foul play saying pathologist reports have shown that he died from carbonisation, meaning there was inhalation of carbon monoxide.
He also said the charred remains belonged to Mujuru, according to DNA tests which matched the blood samples from Mujuru's daughter, Kumbirai.
Source - standard
