Maravi

(HERALD) MDC-T MP acquitted

MDC-T MP acquitted

MDC-T Epworth House of Assembly Member Mr Eliah Jembere, who was accused of raping a councillor’s wife, was yesterday acquitted after the woman said she had been put under pressure by her husband to concoct the allegations.

Mr Jembere walked out of the courtroom a free man while police took the woman to the police post at the Harare Magistrates’ Court following regional magistrate Mr William Bhila’s order to have her arrested.

When the woman contradicted herself in her evidence, prosecutor Mrs Mabel Tapfumaneyi successfully applied for a brief adjournment before returning 10 minutes later to withdraw the charges after plea.

A verdict of not guilty was retained.

The woman denied having been raped by Mr Jembere indicating she reported the matter under pressure from her husband.

"I reported the matter but the accused person never raped me. I did not report the matter willingly but I did under duress. My husband instructed me to report it that way.

"Rumours filtered in the neighbourhood that I was having an affair with Mr Jembere during my husband’s incarceration at Harare Remand Prison and on his return, he could not understand me," said the woman. — HR.

The MP denied the charges saying it was a plot by his political detractors.

Allegations against Mr Jembere were that he raped the woman in May this year when her husband, who is an MDC-T councilor in Epworth was in remand prison over cases of politically-related violence.

Labels: COURTS, MDC

posted by MrK @ 10:18 PM