happiness ChikwanhaZvikomborero Parafini
TOP cop, Chief Inspector Cuthbert Gwidi, pleaded not guilty when his rape trial opened in the capital yesterday.
Gwidi, who is accused of raping a surbodinate in the police band, appeared before Harare magistrate Sandra Mupindu.
He denied the allegations and said the allegations were false, malicious and an abuse of the criminal justice system by the complainant.
He told the court, in his defence, that the complainant was in the habit of raising false allegations whenever she was transferred or faced disciplinary hearings.
Allegations are that on an unknown date, in the evening in 2017, the two met at Regimental Mess at Morris Depot.
Gwidi allegedly sent the complainant to fetch documents from his office.
He then followed the complainant.
Gwidi allegedly then threatened the complainant that she was likely to be discharged from work because she was a ghost worker who was recruited into the force without the required qualifications.
He allegedly went on to threaten her that he would only recommend that she stay at work on condition that she had sexual intercourse with him.
He then went on to rape her in her office, claims the State.
From that day, until 2019, Gwidi allegedly used the same threats and raped the complainant on several occasions.
Zvikomborero Mupasa appeared for the State.
Bongani Ndlovu
Mathew Masinge