HARARE – Two prison officers appeared in court on Friday charged with facilitating the escape from prison by suspected serial rapist, Sam Muropa.
Ngonidzashe Munhuuripi, 43, and Simbarashe Machekere, 24, were not asked to plead to a charge of aiding a prisoner to escape from lawful custody when they appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi.
Mangosi will rule on their bail application on Monday.
Muropa, arrested in August and accused of robbing and raping at least 21 women, was re-arrested on October 5 following his escape from Harare Remand Prison on October 1.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) alleges that sometime on October 1, Munhuuripi, a former schoolmate of Muropa’s brother, approached the 31-year-old and told him he would assist him escape from prison, pointing out that he was unlikely to be granted bail. He had been allegedly bribed by Muropa’s brother.
Just before lock-up time, Munhuuripi and Machekera allegedly hid Muropa in a bathroom in the yard and later took him to the reception where they fetched his clothes on the pretext that he had been granted bail.
The two prison officers allegedly briefed Muropa about the security set-up of the prison and advised him how he would escape without being detected.
Munhuuripi allegedly assisted Muropa to lay concrete pillars and a chair against the pre-cast wall, which the prisoner scaled to his freedom.
Machekera, it is alleged, later called a taxi which picked up Muropa from Enterprise Road.
Muropa, who is set to be sentenced on October 12 after pleading guilty to escaping from lawful custody, was re-arrested on October 5 after allegedly stealing a vehicle in Kuwadzana.
