Battered And Bruised Congregant Freed

Magistrate Pabwe granted free bail to Mukoyi, who was visibly in pain when he appeared in court, charged with assault.

Prosecutor Sidom Chinzete alleged that Mukoyi assaulted Emmanuel Jeketera, a police officer with clenched fists and booted feet all over his body at Chitubu Shopping Center in Glen Norah suburb on
Saturday. Chinzete alleges that Jeketera suffered a swollen lower lip and lacerations on the lower lip as a result of the assault.

Magistrate Pabwe also advised Mukoyi that his trial will commence on 18 May.

Magistrate Pabwe ordered the State to investigate several complaints which were levelled against the police by Mukoyi’s lawyers Marufu Mandevere and Gift Mtisi.

The lawyers told Magistrate Pabwe that the police, who arrested Mukoyi, locked him up in the Church of Nazarene after they had chased away congregants before blowing tear gas in the church.

The lawyers said the police assaulted Mukoyi all over his body with truncheons and clenched fists. As a result of the assault, Mukoyi, whose clothes had blood stains and wore a cervical collar (neck brace) while in court sustained head injuries, swollen body, burst blood vessels.

Mukoyi was arrested together with 13 other congregants by anti-riot police on Saturday during a church service organised to pray for peace in Glen Norah. But one juvenile was released after the arrest on Sunday before the police freed 12 congregants on Monday night on summons.