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Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
Two lawyers from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Douglas Coltart and Tapiwa Muchineripi, yesterday appeared in court facing charges of obstructing the course of justice by refusing to allow police to speak to their two clients who had been reported as possible victims of a kidnapping.
Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi granted the two lawyers US$100 bail each.
Their lawyers raised concerns that their arrest was unlawful.
Allegations are that on Saturday a suspected kidnapping was reported to ZRP Milton Park by Givemore Marovagondo who said he saw seven people in three cars without number plates blocking a BMW, handcuffing the two passengers and shoving them into a Toyota Fortuner.
The court heard on the same day, the news that Womberaiishe Nhende and Sanele Mkhuhlani were kidnapped, circulated on social media, but the writers did not report the case to police.
On Sunday, CID Law and Order Harare were asked to investigate, and on Monday, police were told the two were at Parktown Hospital in Waterfalls, Harare.
At 8pm, detectives from CID Law and Order Harare went to the hospital for further investigations, to record statements from the kidnap victims and to assess the injuries they sustained.During this session, Coltart and Muchineripi approached the police, who told them why they were there. It is alleged that Coltart and Muchineripi, knowing that police officers were investigating a crime or realising that was possible, then obstructed the course of investigations by denying the police access to the two victims whom they said were their clients.
The court heard that the detectives told the two lawyers that the matter was reported to the police, but that Coltart and Muchineripi said they did not want any police, especially from CID Law and Order, as the officers were most likely to collude with their clients’ assailants in harassing them.
The police told Coltart and Muchineripi that their actions were obstructing the police from doing their job, but they continued to refuse, resulting in the detectives leaving the hospital.
The hearing was adjourned to October 20 for ruling on whether the arrest of the two lawyers was lawful.
Online Reporter