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NewsDay

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Byo magistrate to handle senior cop trial

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Police last week appointed Bulawayo provincial magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa to preside over the trial of a senior police detective being accused of accompanying a “gang” which wanted to evict employees at a mine on the outskirts of Bulawayo. The internal disciplinary hearing of former officer commanding the Criminal Investigation Department’s Law and Order section in […]

Police last week appointed Bulawayo provincial magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa to preside over the trial of a senior police detective being accused of accompanying a “gang” which wanted to evict employees at a mine on the outskirts of Bulawayo.

The internal disciplinary hearing of former officer commanding the Criminal Investigation Department’s Law and Order section in Bulawayo, Superintendent Andrew Mupungu, had been scheduled for March 28.

But it failed to proceed as police had not requested for a magistrate from the provincial magistrate responsible for Matabeleland North, John Masimba.

A trial date is still to be agreed upon between Timothy Makoni representing the police and Mupungu’s defence lawyer Charles Moyo.

Mupungu who has since been transferred to Harare, is accused of tarnishing the image of the police.

But sources said the disciplinary issues were linked to the invasion of properties in Bulawayo by Zanu PF youths, which Mupungu was accused of supporting.

He is being charged with violating section 34 of the Police Act (conduct likely to bring the police force into disrepute) arising from the visit to the mine.

It is alleged on January 28 last year, Mupungu led a team of “riotous” people to Black Empowerment Mine in Bulawayo’s Cement Siding area where they wanted to evict employees.

The “gang” is alleged to have acted in a “riotous and violent manner”, threatening to assault workers while Mupungu reportedly took no action. According to the charges in documents which NewsDay is in possession of, it is alleged the conduct of senior officers like Mupungu was worsening the battered police image which the organisation was trying to repair.

The matter was initially taken to a magistrate in May last year after Mupungu refused to be tried by a tribunal chaired by Matabeleland South police commander Billy Mushonga alleging he would not get a fair trial.