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Violence, recrimination and arrests after policeman's death in Glen View - Index of articles
Notorious cops implicated in torture of MDC members
Movement
for Democratic Change
November
06, 2012
Two infamous
senior police officers, Detective Inspector Henry Dowa and Chief
Superintendent Chrispen Makedenge were leading the teams that arrested
and severely tortured some of the 29 MDC members who are on trial
on false charges
of murdering a police officer.
This was revealed
at the High Court today by the defence lawyers during cross-examination
of Clever Ntini, the investigation officer in the murder charge.
The defence
counsel led by Beatrice Mtetwa had queried why Ntini had ignored
a ruling made at the Harare Magistrates' Courts last year
that Ntini should carry out investigations into reports made by
some of the accused that they had been assaulted and tortured while
in police custody.
Among those
who were identified as the torturers of the MDC members in the police
cells are; Dowa, Makedenge, police officers Maida and Muchada.
Dowa was in
2003 removed
from a UN peacekeeping mission in Kosovo after he was found to have
tortured hundreds of MDC and civic society members in police custody.
Dowa has been
named by several torture victims as having directed and carried
out beatings with fists, boots and pickaxe handles, and as having
administered electric shocks to the point of convulsions, at the
Harare Central Police Station throughout 2002 and in early 2003.
The charges have been backed up by medical examinations which confirm
injuries consistent with torture.
Makedenge has been mentioned in connection with numerous human rights
abuses. He was named in court as having participated in the abduction
of human rights defender, Jestina Mukoko and dozens of others in
late 2008. He is further accused of being involved in several other
abductions of MDC members especially in Harare. Makedenge was withdrawn
from a UN peacekeeping operation in Sudan, reportedly because of
his abusive history.
The violations
by the two notorious police officers prompted the defence lawyers
to query why Ntini had not carried out investigations and arrests
as ruled by the courts on the two infamous police officers.
The State prosecutor,
Edmore Nyazamba tried in vain to block Mtetwa from addressing the
two as infamous police officers claiming that it was character assassination
but the trial judge, Justice Chinembiri Bhunu overruled the objection.
Some of the
MDC members who were injured during the torture in police cells
are Councillor Tungamirai Madzokere and Yvonne Musarurwa. Councillor
Madzokere had his arm broken while Musarurwa had visible injuries
which according to Ntini showed that he had been assaulted.
During the cross-examination,
Ntini again failed to reveal the names of his informers who led
to the arrest of the 29 MDC members on trial.
"Who are
these nameless, faceless, genderless and addressless people who
only exist in the eyes of the police?" asked Mtetwa.
It was also
revealed in court today by the defence lawyers that arrested females
were interrogated in the presence of male police officers only,
who were also involved in torturing them.
When Musarurwa
went for indications her jean trousers were blooded and torn.
The trial continues
tomorrow.
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