A POLICE officer allegedly kidnapped and brutally assaulted
a 16-year-old boy who was suspected to have stolen a mobile cell phone at his
uncle’s car wash premises to force him to admit he had taken the gadget.
Constable Munashe Shumba (30), who was the investigating
officer in the case, allegedly went to the minor’s home with two of his
co-accused persons, a Bulawayo City Council security guard Millister Shumba
(43) and the owner of the phone Manfred Nhemachena (43).
The trio appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Ms
Tancy Dube facing a charge of assault and they all pleaded not guilty. They
were remanded out of custody on free bail to Monday for continuation of trial.
Constable Shumba told the court that the three did not
kidnap the boy but instead went to his home to take him to the police station
for questioning and he tried to escape.
“He got out of the house and after telling him that we were
taking him to the police station. He tried to escape and I ran after him while
Shumba and Nhemachena followed us in a car.
“I finally caught him after he fell in an awkward way and
then I discovered he had badly injured himself,” he said.
The prosecutor, Mr Tapiwa Solani said on April 24 at around
midnight, the trio went to the minor’s home intending to take him to Western
Commonage Police Station.
“Instead they drove the minor to a bushy area. Constable
Shumba, who was driving, stopped the car and got out. The trio dragged the
minor out of the car and forced him to take off his pants.
“They questioned the minor on the whereabouts of the phone
but he told them he knew nothing. After a few questions, they assaulted the
minor forcing him to admit that he had stolen the phone,” he said.
Mr Solani said the minor finally admitted that he had
stolen the phone and gave it to his uncle to sell it. While driving to the
minor’s uncle, the trio was told that there was no phone and they assaulted the
minor again.
After brutally assaulting the minor, they took him back to
his home at around 1:30AM.
During testimony, the minor told the court that the trio
took him to a bushy area and assaulted him, forcing him to admit that he had
stolen Nhemachena’s phone and given it to his uncle.
“After they had severely assaulted me, I admitted to the
allegations and later told them I was lying as they were heading to my uncle’s
house to confront him about the phone.
“They assaulted me again and later threatened that if I
ever told anyone about the matter they would deal with me. We later agreed that
I would gather information on the whereabouts of the phone and then give them the information within three days,”
he said.
The trio allegedly dumped the minor at the gate to his
home.
He was taken to the hospital and a medical report showed
that he had sustained injuries on the left leg, ribs and swollen testicles.
A police report was made. Chronicle
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