HARARE
–
A
Chipinge
Public
Prosecutor
and
a
lawyer
have
landed
in
the
dock
for
allegedly
conniving
to
alter
a
rape
accused
man’s
rape
charge
to
a
lesser
offence.
According
to
the
National
Prosecuting
Authority,
Public
Prosecutor
Timothy
Katsande,
34,
and
lawyer
Benjamin
Basikiti,
35,
“connived
to
construct
a
statement
of
agreed
facts
with
an
altered
statement
from
the
victim
in
a
rape
matter
which
was
set
down
for
trial
on
the
15th
of
January
2025”.
“The
first
accused
person
was
prosecuting
whilst
the
second
accused
person
represented
the
accused
person
in
the
rape
matter.
“They
allegedly
altered
and
misrepresented
the
statement
of
agreed
facts
to
reduce
the
charge
to
‘having
sexual
intercourse
with
a
child’,”
said
the
NPA
in
a
Monday
report.
For
their
alleged
misdeeds,
the
two
court
officials
appeared
in
court
facing
obstruction
of
justice
charges.
They
were
both
granted
US$100
bail
and
will
be
back
in
court
on
the
25
April
2025
for
trial.