Online Reporter
Court Correspondent
TWO police officers stationed at Highlands Police Station in Harare appeared in court yesterday on charges of criminal abuse of office after allegedly engaging in unlawful conduct during the handling of an assault case.
Paul Matambo (36), the officer-in-charge of shift one and Evidence Jarahwenya (37), the second-in-charge at the crime office, were remanded in custody by Harare regional magistrate Mrs Jesse Kufa.
They are expected to apply for bail today.
The allegations emanate from January 23 this year when Matambo was on duty and Jarahwenya was leading the night patrol team.
Prosecutor Mr Oscar Madhume told the court that on the evening of January 23, Matambo received a report of assault and violence in progress at 33 Vernon Avenue, Athlone, Harare.
The report was made by Moore Shoko.
Seeking assistance, Matambo called on Jarahwenya and her team, who had access to a patrol vehicle. The pair, accompanied by six constables, went to the address.
Upon arrival, they handcuffed Zishan Zhang, a Chinese national who was present at the scene. Statements were recorded from Xiaomei Xu and Moore Shoko. The officers then transported Zishan Zhang to Highlands Police Station using a vehicle owned by Nuanzheng Wang.
However, upon arrival, they failed to follow standard procedures. Instead of processing Zishan Zhang according to the law, the officers did not enter the case in the Reports Received Book, a critical step in police protocol.
Furthermore, they released Zishan Zhang without recording his full particulars, obtaining a warned and cautioned statement, or seeking authorisation from either their Officer in Charge or ZRP Rhodesville, the station with jurisdiction over the crime scene. Following his release, Zishan Zhang fled the country and is now reportedly in hiding in Botswana.
In an apparent attempt to cover up their actions, Matambo allegedly entered a false report in the report book the next day on January 24, claiming that no scene attendance was warranted because the area fell outside their station’s jurisdiction.
This was despite the fact that they had already attended the scene the previous evening. Additionally, Matambo is accused of altering Xiaomei Xu’s statement to make it appear as though it had been recorded on January 24 rather than January 23.
The State alleges that the two officers acted contrary to their duties as law enforcement officials and facilitated the unlawful release of a suspect who subsequently evaded justice.
Charles Duri