HARARE - Two police officers and a soldier have been summoned back to court on culpable homicide charges after they allegedly assaulted a 52-year-old man to death in 2007.

Oncemore Mahachi, 49, Soams Nkala, 26, and Duster Muzemba, 25, yesterday appeared before magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni.

Soams and Duster are police officers, while Oncemore is a soldier.

The court heard that Leeford Mahachi, 23, who is still at large, went to the now deceased Victor Tauyanago’s place to collect his money in Harare’s high density suburb of Highfield in June 2007.

It is alleged Leeford intended to collect the money from Tauyanago’s son Prosper.

Upon arrival, the court heard, Leeford met Prosper’s mother, Shirley Kambezo who told him that Prosper was not around.

According to state papers, this did not go well with Leeford who started shouting at Shirley. Victor came out of the house to investigate what the noise was all about.

Victor tried to apprehend Leeford, who fled and went to the police station where he reported a case of assault against the Tauyanago family. Leeford also claimed that they had stolen Z$3, 2 million from him.

Prosecutor Valerie Ngoma told the court that Leeford teamed up with Soams, Oncemore and Duster and went to Tauyanago’s house.

The four arrested Tauyanago family members and one Frodrick Mukota.

They assaulted them on the way to the police station, the court was told.

The arrested members were put into police cells and were assaulted by bicycle chains until Victor was rushed to the hospital where he later died, the court was told.

The trio will be back in court on January 17 for trial. - Irvine Zhakata