POLICE have heightened investigations into the death of two suspected armed robbers, Andrew Jabulani Quinton Sibanda and Nehemiah Vumbunu, who had allegedly been tortured to their deaths in police custody.
Richard Muponde Senior Reporter
The two were allegedly killed in 2010.
A source close to the matter said police investigations into the murder of the two suspected armed robbers have reached final stages.
“A docket was opened in the case,” a police source said.
“It had been to Harare and it’s now back in Bulawayo.
“I think they have been forced to investigate the matter because of an outcry from the families of the deceased, especially Sibanda’s family.”
The police source said there was a lot of pressure exerted on the force and this had triggered the investigations.
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“You are also aware that the police are facing a lawsuit from Nyapokoto (Basil) over the same issue,” the source said.
“The matter has also piled a lot of pressure on the organisation and that could have forced them to act.
“The culprits might be brought to court soon facing murder charges.”
Initially, the police announced that the pair had been killed in a shoot-out, but Sibanda’s family requested and was granted an inquest, which was held at Bulawayo Magistrates’ Courts by the late coroner and provincial magistrate John Masimba.
After hearing the case, the late Masimba ordered police to investigate and open a murder docket against the detectives for allegedly torturing the two.
This was after a detective, Nyapokoto, testified and refused to cover up the killing of the two robbery suspects in police custody and implicated his colleagues in the murder of the two.
But soon after his testimony, he was reportedly kidnapped, assaulted and detained for five days on allegations of perjury.
The Attorney General’s office refused to prosecute.
Nyapokoto is suing the police for over $65 000 in damages emanating from his arrest.
He has since won the case and judge Justice Martin Makonese in 2013 ordered Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri to pay him damages, but he remains in defiance of the court order.
Efforts to get a comment from either the police or the Prosecutor General’s Office were fruitless yesterday.
