Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
AN inmate, who altered his audiology report to make it claim he was deaf and couldn’t stand trial, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for obstruction of justice.
Witness Nyarupa was convicted after a full trial by Harare regional magistrate Donald Ndirowei.
He is serving 12 years for armed robbery in the case.
It means he will serve, at least, 15 years in prison.
The State, represented by Tendai Tapi, proved that on December 2, 2022, Nyarupa was arrested by CID Homicide charged with four counts of armed robberies.
He was remanded in custody pending finalisation of investigations.
The court heard that while he was in remand prison, trial proceedings were stalled because he indicated that he had a hearing impairment.
The State applied for him to be examined by an audiologist.
On June 23, 2023, Nyarupa was taken to Audiomax Clinic, which is along Baines Avenue in Harare, where was examined by Dr Tsungirirai Marufu.
An audiological evaluation was conducted and the doctor compiled a report which concluded that the accused could hear normally with both ears. Nyarupa intercepted the report and made material alterations.
Initially the Stare claimed that he connived with Takawira Taderera, who is a prison guard, and crafted another medical report, which stated that Nyarupa couldn’t hear using both ears.
Taderera was said to have stamped the report using a ZPCS Harare Remand clinic date stamp and took it to Harare Magistrate’s court for the attention of the court.
On January 17 this year, the trial prosecutor subpoenaed the audiologist to come to court to explain and simplify some terms, which were not clear to persons who are not in the medical field.
The audiologist distanced herself from the report, which had been tendered by prisons.
It became apparent that the report was fake and was aimed at defeating the course of justice, leading to the duo’s arrest.
Nyarupa implicated Taderera saying the two connived to alter the report in a bid to evade trial.
However, in his findings, magistrate Ndirowei ruled that the State failed to prove its case against Taderera and instead convicted Nyarupa.
Mathew Masinge