SIX police officers based at the Bulawayo Central Police Station are in trouble for allegedly assaulting a suspected tout, twisting his neck and inflicting serious injuries after they arrested him.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
The matter was heard by Bulawayo magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa when the six cops — Benjamin Marufu (28) of Ross camp, Sillinenus Muvazhi (33) of Nkulumane, Dominico Ingwani (28) of Ross Camp, Eniwell Tafa (30) of Mzilikazi, Godknows Hove (23) of Sizinda and Isheunesu Mabhiza (32) of Ross Camp all in Bulawayo appeared before him charged with assault.
They are alleged to have assaulted Big Dube (48) of Cowdray Park, accusing him of touting. The six, represented by a Tungamirai Nyengera, pleaded not guilty to the charge and the magistrate further remanded the case for continuation.
This was after the State had called the second witness, Tafadzwa Ngwenya, who narrated how Dube was assaulted in his view corroborating Dube’s evidence, who had testified against the cops at the start of the trial.
A medical report brought to court showed that Dube had suffered serious injuries as indications that the police officers allegedly assaulted and even twisted his neck in the process.
But their lawyer Nyengera challenged the State to bring the doctor who examined Dube to explain what he wrote in the medical report.
He questioned how Dube, if he was seriously injured, managed to get into the vehicle and drive off the day he was arrested and later released.
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He said if he was seriously injured, he would not have managed to drive himself. He argued that the doctor needed to explain to the court what he meant when he wrote that Dube’s injuries were serious and life-threatening.
The court heard that on August 5, 2014 at 12:30pm Dube was at Egodini terminus when the police officers arrested the driver, Tafadzwa Ngwenya, accusing him of touting and assaulting police officers.
Dube allegedly confronted the police officers, asking them why they had arrested Ngwenya.
The six police officers allegedly started shouting at him telling him he was not supposed to ask them such a question.
They allegedly assaulted him on the forehead with their handcuffs, kicked him on the left knee and they allegedly twisted his neck in an effort to arrest him.
He sustained a deep cut on the forehead, swollen left knee and swollen hands.
Dube was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for treatment and a medical report showed that his injuries were serious.
A report later made to the police led to the arrest of the six cops.
