MDC-A trio to know fate today Joana Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri

Herald Reporter

MDC-Alliance members — Joana Mamombe, Cecillia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova — will today know their fate when Harare regional magistrate Bianca Makwande makes a bail ruling in a matter in which they are alleged to have stage-managed their abduction.

The trio was remanded in custody on Friday after the State opposed bail saying they were a flight risk and had gained sympathy from other jurisdictions, which may assist them to flee.

Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova, who were represented by Messrs Jeremiah Bamu and Alec Muchadehama told the court that they had no capacity to flee since they had already surrendered their passports to the clerk of court as part of bail conditions on another pending matter.

They are being charged with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State, or alternatively defeating the course of justice.

It is alleged that on May 13, 2020 at around 12.30pm, the trio teamed up with other MDC-Alliance youths and gathered at Choppies Supermarket in Warren Park 1.

They then allegedly staged a demonstration against the recall of their party’s MPs from Parliament and the alleged misuse of funds for Covid-19 by the Government.

It is alleged that on the same day, they called their friends, family and lawyers saying they had been arrested at a roadblock near the Showgrounds in Harare and were taken to Harare Central Police Station.

Upon receiving the communication, Mr Bamu allegedly went to the police CID Law and Order where he communicated with Detective Chief Inspector Chibaya, saying the three had been arrested and taken to Harare Central police station.

According to the State, checks were made and it was established that they had not been arrested.

On the same day, social media platforms and local newspapers were awash with news that the three had been arrested, it is alleged.

On May 15, at around 1am, Mr Bamu advised the police that the three were at Muchapondwa Business Centre in Bindura.

The police and Mr Bamu went to the business centre in Bindura, collected the trio and took them to a hospital in Waterfalls, Harare, since they claimed to have been tortured.

On May 19, 2020 Netsai Marova was interviewed by Detective Chafa to the effect that she was abducted and tortured by the police.

Mamombe and Chimbiri were later interviewed on May 25, 2020, according to State.

It is said investigations by the police revealed that they were never abducted, but stage managed the kidnapping.

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