Ex-convict drags prison officer to court

AN EX-convict who was recently released from Mutimurefu Prison under the Presidential Amnesty has sued a prison officer at the prison for allegedly assaulting him while he was still serving his six year sentence for unlawful entry, theft and defeating the course of justice.

Shakemore Mundanda of Kwishu village under Headman Madyangove in Chivi has reopened his assault case (CR66/7/17, REF 74/18) against Mutimurefu Prisons’ Assistant Principal Correctional Officer Austin Muredzi after the State had declined prosecution stating that witnesses who were present exonerated the accused.

The court documents states that on April 18, 2017 at Mutimurefu Prison, Muredzi assaulted Mr Mundanda with a log all over the body after a misunderstanding between the inmates.

Mr Mundanda was admitted at Masvingo Provincial Hospital since his bladder was malfunctioning, and the doctor said he will need a catheter for a lifetime.

Police then recorded Mr Mundanda’s statement and that of witnesses at Mutimurefu prisons in the presence of prison officers.

Mr Mundanda claimed that the statements were made under duress since there were prison officers present.

He also alleged that the investigating officer was bribed to pull out his witnesses’ statements from the docket and replaced them with Muredzi’s witnesses’ statements.

The prosecutor then declined to prosecute, saying that the witnesses’ statements exonerated the accused person from the crime.