Chronicle Editor
Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent
THREE men yesterday appeared in court on allegations of kidnapping police officers, disarming and assaulting them during a dispute over parking space in Highfield.
Samuel Tinotenda Muronzi (24),Lionel Rupaya (34) and Jonathan Paul Chishiri (30) were facing assault and kidnapping charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate, Mr Dennis Mangosi.
They were freed on US$200 bail each.
The court heard that on May 29, the accused persons were driving a Ford Ranger, registration number ADI 9040.
The complainants who are police detectives parked their vehicle, a Toyota Vigo double cab, registration numbers AEC 6213 (ZRP 138T) at a road side before proceeding to make inquiries a few metres away.
It is the State’s case that when they returned, the accused persons started complaining that the complainants’ vehicle had blocked their way for too long.
The complainants introduced themselves as police officers before driving off.
Accused persons followed the complainants and blocked their way. The accused persons disembarked from their vehicle and opened the complainants’ vehicle. They dragged the complainants from their vehicle and pulled the driver from his seat. The trio saw that the driver was armed and during the tussle, Rupiya tried to disarm the complainant of his service pistol.
In the process, the firearm discharged and shot the complainant once on the knee cap.
It is alleged that Muronzi took charge of the firearm and they immediately dragged the other complainant from the back seat.
He fell down, hitting the ground with his head, thereby sustaining a cut on the back of his head. His service pistol was loaded with two live rounds and it fell on the tarmac. Chishiri took charge of it.
A female police officer who was in the company of the complainants managed to escape from the scene.
Accused persons threw the complainants into their getaway vehicle and drove towards ZRP Glen Norah.
Along the way, Muronzi indiscriminately fired five shots using the complainant’s firearm. On arrival at ZRP Glen Norah camp, accused persons immediately made a U-turn, threatening to take the complainants somewhere to assault them.
The complainants then shouted to a police officer manning the gate that they had been kidnapped.
The officer responded by closing the boom gate.
Accused persons were then arrested.
The firearms and spent cartridge case was recovered from them.
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