News / National
Mamombe, Chimbiri fake abduction case winds up
08 Sep 2022 at 17:29hrs | Views
THE deputy chief magistrate Faith Mushure is expected to hand down her ruling in a case Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) officials, Joana Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri are being accused of fabricating falsehoods this Friday.
Mamombe and Chimbiri landed in the dock in 2020 after they were accused of faking their abduction in a bid to soil the Emmerson Mnangagwa's government.
Mamombe and Chimbiri applied for discharge after the State closed its case last month through their lawyer Alec Muchaehama who submitted that the State failed to prove a prima facie case against his clients.
"There was absolutely no evidence given before the courts warranting conviction," said Muchadehama.
In a fast tracked trial which started two months back the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) called 10 witnesses who testified against the two.
Muchadehama said their evidence was shallow.
"Even after calling ten witnesses, no evidence linking the accused to the alleged offence was given so there is nothing to convict on," said Muchadehama.
Prosecutors allege the two lied because they were captured on CCTV doing shopping at a shopping centre in Harare during the time they alleged to have been in the hands of their captures.
But during the trial Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri rejected production of video footage evidence claiming it was doctored.
At one time another witness, a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer Richard Munyoro submitted a video which he said showed the three shopping at Belgravia.
The footage was allegedly collected from Chicken Inn, Bon Marche and Zuva Service station.
Mamombe and her friend demanded that the videos should be tendered by the originators, who are officials from Zuva, Bona Marche and Chicken Inn.
They said the alleged footage was widely circulated hence the probability of it having been edited.
Mamombe and Chimbiri were arrested together with their friend Netsai Marova who skipped the country last year with an arrest warrant later issued against her.
They insist they were arrested at a roadblock near Harare Show Grounds by suspected state officers who tortured them before dumping the trio at a shopping centre close to Bindura.
Medical affidavits have proved that they were brutally assaulted to an extent that they were unable to walk and they spent several days in hospital before they were discharged.
Mamombe and Chimbiri landed in the dock in 2020 after they were accused of faking their abduction in a bid to soil the Emmerson Mnangagwa's government.
Mamombe and Chimbiri applied for discharge after the State closed its case last month through their lawyer Alec Muchaehama who submitted that the State failed to prove a prima facie case against his clients.
"There was absolutely no evidence given before the courts warranting conviction," said Muchadehama.
In a fast tracked trial which started two months back the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) called 10 witnesses who testified against the two.
Muchadehama said their evidence was shallow.
"Even after calling ten witnesses, no evidence linking the accused to the alleged offence was given so there is nothing to convict on," said Muchadehama.
Prosecutors allege the two lied because they were captured on CCTV doing shopping at a shopping centre in Harare during the time they alleged to have been in the hands of their captures.
But during the trial Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri rejected production of video footage evidence claiming it was doctored.
At one time another witness, a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer Richard Munyoro submitted a video which he said showed the three shopping at Belgravia.
The footage was allegedly collected from Chicken Inn, Bon Marche and Zuva Service station.
Mamombe and her friend demanded that the videos should be tendered by the originators, who are officials from Zuva, Bona Marche and Chicken Inn.
They said the alleged footage was widely circulated hence the probability of it having been edited.
Mamombe and Chimbiri were arrested together with their friend Netsai Marova who skipped the country last year with an arrest warrant later issued against her.
They insist they were arrested at a roadblock near Harare Show Grounds by suspected state officers who tortured them before dumping the trio at a shopping centre close to Bindura.
Medical affidavits have proved that they were brutally assaulted to an extent that they were unable to walk and they spent several days in hospital before they were discharged.
Source - NewZimbabwe
