Policeman died after falling from vehicle

A case in which 29 members of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party are facing charges of murdering a policeman appeared headed for collapse on Wednesday when a policeman who is a state witness admitted his colleague died after falling from a moving vehicle.

Policeman Joshua Daka told trial judge, Justice Chinembiri Bhunu that he saw the now Inspector Petros Mutedza running to a vehicle parked at Glen View 3 Shopping Centre in Harare after stones were thrown at him by unknown people. Daka was recalled to stand as a witness and has testified before in the trial.

He said when Inspector Mutedza tried to open the passenger door, the driver of the vehicle drove off at a high speed resulting in Mutedza falling hard on the tarmac.  Daka said he was standing some 77 metres away from where Mutedza fell down.

The trial resumed today after an in loco inspection was held at Glen View 3 shops with Assistant Inspector Spencer Nyararai winding up on his evidence. He continued to stun the court by saying stones that hit the deceased leading to his death came from behind to the front of Munyarari Bar.

However, Daka disputed this saying the building was tall, making it impossible for the stones thrown some 170 metres away to fall on the front of the bar. The trial resumed in the afternoon with the State recalling another witness, Constable Solomon Mushaninga.

On Tuesday heavily armed police sealed off Glen View 3 Shopping Centre to allow the High Court to carry out an inspection in loco in the case. Roads were barricaded and some independent journalists barred from covering proceedings.

MDC-T Youth Assembly Chairman Solomon Madzore and 28 fellow activists are facing what his party believe are ‘trumped up’ charges of killing Inspector Mutedza. The group has had countless applications for bail turned down and this month marked the first time the case went to trial since the arrests in May last year. Nehanda Radio.com