Prison officer gets bail on forgery charge

A ZIMBABWE Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) officer charged with forging a medical report in order to free a suspected robber, was yesterday granted US$100 bail.

Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi remanded the officer to March 14.

Takawira Taderera (42), the ZPCS officer, was jointly charged with armed robber, Witness Nyarupa (44), on charges of defeating the course of justice.

Taderera was represented by Mr Malvin Mapako and Mr Joseph Nemaisa.

It is the State’s case that on December 2, 2021, Nyarupa was arrested by detectives from CID Homicide Harare on four counts of armed robbery. He was placed on remand in custody pending completion of investigations.

While in remand prison, the trial proceedings were stopped after Nyarupa indicated he had hearing problems. As is normal when medical complaints are raised, the State applied that Nyarupa to be medically examined by an audiologist.

On June 23 last year, Nyarupa was taken by ZPCS officers to Audiomax Clinic in Harare for examination. An audio logical evaluation was conducted by the doctor, but the report concluded that Nyarupa could hear normally with both ears.

The report was then sent to the ZPCS Harare Remand Prison for further management.

Taderera, who is employed by ZPCS as a court orderly, intercepted the report and allegedly crafted a fake medical report with a conclusion that Nyarupa was unable to hear.

The court heard that Taderera stamped the report using a ZPCS Harare Remand Clinic date stamp, before taking it to the Harare Magistrates Court.

On January 17 this year, the trial prosecutor requested the audiologist to come to court to explain the medical report. But she, after seeking the fake, distanced herself from the report, stating that it was totally different from the one she submitted.

It became apparent from the proceedings that the report was doctored with the intention to obstruct the course of justice.

On January 23, Nyarupa admitted to conniving with Taderera to intercept the medical report after interviews from police.

He implicated Taderera as his accomplice in facilitating the medical report.