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assaulting a police inspector last Sunday, appeared in court Friday, June 3 charged with murder.

The 12 are accused of killing police Ins-pector Petros Mutedza (42) whom they reportedly set upon when he tried to disperse their unsanctioned rally.
Madzokera (36), Yvonne Musarurwa (24), Rebecca Mafukeni (27), Last Tamai Maenga-hama (42), Stanford (27) and Lazarus Mae-ngahama (35), Gabriel Shumba (28), Phenias Nhatarikwa (45), Stefani Takaidzwa (33), Stanford Mangwiro (28), Cynthia Fungai Manjoro (26) and Linda Musiyamhanje (28) were not formally charged when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Shane Kubonera.
Musarurwa is MDC-T vice secretary for youth in Budiriro District while Mafukeni is the party’s vice secretary for Harare Province.

Last Tamai Maengahama is an MDC-T national executive member.
The 12, who were represented by lawyers – Mr Charles Kwaramba, Mr Marufu Mandevere and Mr Gift Mtisi – were remanded in custody to June 17.

EARLIER REPORTS

• Slain cop: Suspects quizzed

Mr Kwaramba gave notice that he would challenge his client’s placement on remand on or before the next remand date.
Mr Kubonera ordered the Attorney-Gene-ral’s Office to investigate claims of torture while in police custody made by the suspects and table a report before the court on or before the next remand date.

The magistrate also ordered prisons to ensure that the suspects are examined by Government medical doctors.
Mr Kwaramba had submitted that his clients were tortured and denied access to their lawyers.

“Another general complaint is that they were assaulted by police in custody, the modus operandi in committing such heinous acts was the beatings on the buttocks, under the feet and all over their bodies.
“Implements used include baton sticks and booted feet, most of them are in pain and have swollen bodies,” he said.

Madzokera showed the court injuries, which he sustained from the alleged beatings.
Mr Kwaramba said his clients no longer trusted the State hence they wanted to be treated by private doctors of their choice and pleaded with the court to set up a commission to investigate the torture claims or even the parliamentary committee on justice.

Appearing for the State, Mr Edmore Nyazamba from the AG’s Office, said most of the claims were bald assertions but said he would make sure investigations are carried out.
He said the court should give prisons a chance to treat the suspects, as they did not prove that they have failed.

Insp Mutedza was stationed at Borrow-dale Police Station and attached to the police Reaction Group at the time of his death.
Mr Nyazamba alleged that on May 29 this year, the 12 MDC-T youth members gathered at Glen View 1 Shopping Centre to participate in what they termed “MDC-T T-shirt visibility day” a campaign strategy.

There were about 50, all wearing the party’s regalia chanting slogans and singing MDC-T songs.
Around 12 noon, on the same day, it is alleged, they marched to Glen View 4 Sho-pping Centre where they had braai and drank beer.

Police were tipped and went to the scene where they allegedly identified Robert Ma-nyengavana and Paul Gorekore and advised them to disperse as required by the law.
They allegedly complied only to re-gather at Glen View 3 Shopping Centre at Munya-rari Nite Club owned by former MDC-T Harare Province treasurer.

The Police Provincial Reaction Group was summoned and came with Insp Mutedza leading a team of seven uniformed officers.
Upon their arrival, Insp Mutedza and his five subordinates alighted from the vehicle and asked where the youth leaders were.
They were advised they were inside the Nite Club. They approached Manyengavana and Gorekore who are still at large and asked them to disperse their gathering peacefully as it was not sanctioned.

The youths, it is alleged, started denouncing the police, shouting in shona “Matatya ngaauraiwe” (Kill the frogs).
They allegedly started throwing stones, empty bottles, steel stools and other missiles at the officers.

The outnumbered policemen ran out of the club and Insp Mutedza rushed to a parked white Nissan Hardbody that he mistook as their unmarked police vehicle while others ran to their police vehicle parked a few metres away.
As he tried to open the door to seek refuge he was hit by a brick on the left side of the head and fell down.

The marauding youths allegedly followed up and started kicking him with some trampling all over his body until he fell unconscious and bled profusely from the ears, nose and mouth.
Some of the youths, it is alleged, jumped into the Nissan truck and sped off while others removed their party regalia in a bid to hide their identity.

Insp Mutedza was rushed to Harare Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
A post mortem carried out by Doctor Gabriel Abvero attributed the cause of death to severe head injuries, a depressed skull and damaged brain due to the assault.