MUTARE A Chipinge magistrate and a clerk of court who were arrested early last year over allegations of conniving to release prisoners were on Tuesday remanded in custody following the production of the recovered lost docket pertaining to one of the alleged freed inmates.
The magistrate, Trinos Shumba, also threw away the pairs application for discharge at the close of the States case.
They were jointly charged with criminal abuse of office in a case where they allegedly set free, for a fee, seven inmates from Chipinge Prison.
Initially the court officials were brought to court early last year when their trial began, but they applied for discharge at the close of the State case.
Presiding magistrate Trinos Shumba acquitted the third suspects, court interpreter Tapiwa Mashonganyika (30), saying his role in the case was not clear and put the duo of magistrate Jenifer Mangombe (27) and clerk of court Thomas Munyawarara (30) to their defence.
After submissions by both the State and the defence, the magistrate reserved judgment which will be handed down on April 27.
According to the State led by prosecutor Malvern Musarurwa, charges against the three are that they allegedly connived to write warrants of liberation to facilitate the release of the seven prisoners early last year.
It is further alleged that the trio went ahead to destroy the records of proceedings to conceal evidence.
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Munyawarara is alleged to have acted under the instructions of Mangombe to prepare the warrants of liberation.
He is also alleged to have signed them. Investigations instituted by police resulted in the recovery of some of the warrants of liberation for the released prisoners at Chipinge Prison where they were filed.
Also recovered was a court record belonging to one Simbarashe Sithole, who is one of the released prisoners.
The court record, however, had some missing documents which were later recovered and will be produced as evidence in court.
