Bulawayo provincial magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa is today expected to deliver judgment in the matter involving a senior police detective Superintendent Andrew Mupungu charged with bringing the name of the police force into disrepute.
His lawyer Charles Paul Moyo told NewsDay judgment would be delivered today.
“Yes, the magistrate is making a ruling on Monday (today) at 11am after I have finished another case which I have in the morning at the courts,” said Moyo.
Mupungu is accused of accompanying a “gang” which wanted to evict employees at a mine on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
The matter was initially supposed to have been heard before a police tribunal led by Matabeleland South police chief Billy Mushonga, but Mupungu refused, as he argued that the verdict had been “predetermined” and opted to be tried by a magistrate. Mupungu has since denied the charge and transferred to Harare.
Senior Assistant Commissioner Steven Mutamba is seeking to have Mupungu charged with violating Section 34 of the Police Act (conduct likely to bring the police force into disrepute) after the latter allegedly led a “team of a riotous gang” to evict workers at a mine in Bulawayo’s Cement Siding area.
Police allege the “gang” acted in a “riotous and violent manner”, threatening to assault workers while Mupungu, who then was officer commanding Criminal Investigations’ Land and Order section, took no action.
According to police, the incident took place on January 28 last year at Black Empowerment Mine. Last week, Mupungu’s lawyer applied for a discharge arguing the State had no prima facie case against his client, but Timothy Makoni representing the police, opposed the application saying Mupungu should be put to his defence.
