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Prison officer in court for unlawful release of armed robber
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A senior officer at Khami Maximum Prison Complex has been arrested for allegedly abusing his office to facilitate the unlawful release of a dangerous inmate serving a lengthy sentence for armed robbery.
Chamunorwa Matshalaga, a Principal Correctional Officer with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS), appeared before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Mark Dzira on Friday facing charges of criminal abuse of office.
The case centres on the release of Charles Nyarondo, who was serving a 62-year sentence for six counts of armed robbery committed between 2023 and 2024.
According to the State, Matshalaga - who was responsible for inmate records and administration - conspired with yet-to-be-identified accomplices to unlawfully secure Nyarondo's release. The group is accused of manipulating records during the selection process for the Proposed General Amnesty 2024: Clemency Order No. 1 of 2024, which was to guide a presidential clemency exercise.
Prosecutor Siphiwe Mhlanga told the court that Matshalaga and his alleged accomplices misclassified Nyarondo as eligible under the "aged 60" provision, despite his convictions making him ineligible. The Government Gazette Vol. CII No. 32, which published the Clemency Order, explicitly excluded inmates convicted under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] from benefitting based on age.
Mhlanga further argued that Matshalaga's actions constituted a serious breach of duty that undermined both public confidence in the ZPCS and the broader rule of law. "Unlawfully releasing an inmate from prison is a grave violation that erodes public trust," she said, adding that the accused might interfere with witnesses or abscond if released.
Matshalaga applied for bail, insisting he was not a flight risk and would reside at his given address. The State opposed the application, and Magistrate Dzira remanded him in custody until 2 October.
Investigations are ongoing, and police are still pursuing Matshalaga's alleged accomplices.
Chamunorwa Matshalaga, a Principal Correctional Officer with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS), appeared before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Mark Dzira on Friday facing charges of criminal abuse of office.
The case centres on the release of Charles Nyarondo, who was serving a 62-year sentence for six counts of armed robbery committed between 2023 and 2024.
According to the State, Matshalaga - who was responsible for inmate records and administration - conspired with yet-to-be-identified accomplices to unlawfully secure Nyarondo's release. The group is accused of manipulating records during the selection process for the Proposed General Amnesty 2024: Clemency Order No. 1 of 2024, which was to guide a presidential clemency exercise.
Mhlanga further argued that Matshalaga's actions constituted a serious breach of duty that undermined both public confidence in the ZPCS and the broader rule of law. "Unlawfully releasing an inmate from prison is a grave violation that erodes public trust," she said, adding that the accused might interfere with witnesses or abscond if released.
Matshalaga applied for bail, insisting he was not a flight risk and would reside at his given address. The State opposed the application, and Magistrate Dzira remanded him in custody until 2 October.
Investigations are ongoing, and police are still pursuing Matshalaga's alleged accomplices.
Source - The Chronicle
