THE three police officers from Chituripasi Police Base in Beitbridge East accused of raping an 18-year-old woman on three different occasions last month have been remanded in custody to July 23 this year after the Attorney-General's office failed to release their bail order on time.
The State had assented to the accused, Courage Majoni, Jabulani Museba, and Enock Nyamupandu's placement on bail.
"I apologize for coming late, but am yet to receive the bail order for the three clients," their lawyer Muchihwande Sithole told regional magistrate Innocent Bepura while pleading for his clients to be given a shorter remand period. But prosecutor Tsitsi Mutukwa insisted on the traditional two-week remand.
The officers are denying the allegations of raping the complainant during her visit to aunt at the police base.
It is alleged that on June 5 this year, Museba sneaked into a bathroom where the complainant was bathing and raped her once before threatening to shoot her and her aunt if they reported the case.
Three days later, Majoni allegedly abused the woman using the same modus operandi. On June 13, Nyamupandu allegedly raped her once at knife point after sneaking into the house. The complainant, based in Bulawayo, disclosed her alleged abuse to her mother when she went back to the city. The matter was reported at Western Commonage Police Station, leading to the trio’s arrest.
