EMBATTLED founder of RGM End Time Message Church Robert Martin Gumbura’s three wives, facing charges of possessing pornographic material, are set to stand trial today.
BY SENIOR REPORTER
Gumbura is facing rape charges.
The three women — Choice Neganye (32), Amadeus Mutakwa (32) and Pamela Mukandawire (27) — who are charged together with other female members from their church, were remanded to today for trial during their last court appearance.
The others accused are Runyararo Musvosvi (27), Rutendo Sekai Mandiya (28), Veronica Mbanga (27), Tendai Kwatara (34) and Moreblessing Takawira (35). The trial was moved to today to allow defence counsel Rekai Maphosa an opportunity to take instructions from her clients although the State, represented by Michael Reza, had indicated that it was ready to proceed to trial.
The State will call the Censorship Board chairperson James Malaba to testify.
The women are facing charges of production and dissemination of undesirable pictures together with other female church members who all reside at Gumbura’s house at 6 Helena Close in Malborough. They are currently on $30 bail each.
The State’s case is that on October 21 last year, a team of police officers from the Victim-Friendly Unit received information that there were incidences of abuse against women and children at Gumbura’s residence.
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The following day, it is alleged, a team of five police officers went to the house to carry out a search. During the search, the police officers recovered 16 pornographic DVDs and 57 pictures of the accused persons posing naked.
The court heard that the pictures were taken to the Censorship and Entertainment Board for opinion and Malaba concluded that 49 of them were “indecent, obscene and objectional hence should therefore be rejected, banned and prohibited”.
The pictures are set to be produced in court as exhibits.
