THE trial of suspected rapist cleric Bishop Danmore Magorimbo of Abundant Life Church took another turn yesterday when top Harare lawyer Admire Rubaya took to the witness stand and told the court that he advised the complainant’s husband to file a police report after ascertaining that the woman had not consented to sexual intercourse with the suspect.
BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI
Rubaya told Harare magistrate Adonia Masawi that they had initially written to Magorimbo on October 13, 2014, demanding $1 million in adultery damages. He said Magorimbo responded to the letter two days later admitting to adultery and offered title deeds to his residential stand. Rubaya, however, said that he subsequently discovered that it was not a case of adultery because the woman had not consented to having sexual intercourse with Magorimbo after reading her statement.
It was then that he advised the woman’s husband to file a police report. He said when the complainant’s husband brought an audio recording of a conversation between Magorimbo and the woman, he realised that the two had engaged in sexual intercourse without protection as the cleric was recorded speaking to the woman about “dry” and “skin-to-skin” encounters.
Magorimbo did not dispute an audio recording of the conversation he had with the woman littered with sexual innuendo. Leading the witness, prosecutor Michael Reza told the court that the complainant indicated that when the cleric allegedly laid his hand on her head, he indicated to her that he was going to have sexual intercourse with her.
Charges against Magorimbo arose after he allegedly raped the woman and subsequently solicited the help of his intercessor, Leeshalow Kambiro, to ask the woman to accept, rejoice and celebrate her “cleansing”.
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Allegations are that sometime in April last year at the church grounds in Belvedere, Magorimbo approached the woman who was in the prayer room and invited her to his office claiming he wanted to conduct a cleansing ceremony to drive away evil spirits from her.
The trial continues on April 13.