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Senior Reporter
At least six cops have been arrested in connection with the escape of a suspected burglar from Harare Central Police Station holding cells on Sunday night. Police sources yesterday confirmed that the six, most of them on duty when the suspect escaped, were in custody and assisting with investigations.
On Thursday, sources close to the investigations had indicated that the suspect could have been assisted in his escape by some police officers.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tadius Chibanda yesterday said they were still looking for the escapee, whose name is being withheld.
He could not give details on the reported arrest of his colleagues.
“There are still no developments on the case and investigations are still in progress,” he said.
However, one source in the law enforcement agency said: “As of now, there are six police officers who are assisting with investigations over the matter.”
While details remain sketchy, it is believed that the suspect was on the wanted list for a string of crimes and had been hiding in South Africa.
To escape, the suspect tied blankets together as a rope and used them to lower himself from a fire escape at the police station.
The suspect was facing charges of unlawful entry and theft.
It was reported that the suspect could have sneaked out of a holding cell, accessed a fire escape and used the blankets as a rope to leave the building.
On the same day, another suspect arrested on a murder charge was found dead in a holding cell after using a blanket to hang himself from the cell’s steel bars.
Escapes from Harare Central Police Station are rare, with the last reported case having taken place in September 2007.
Online Reporter