THE rape trial of Kwekwe Urban MP Blessing Chebundo [MDC-T] resumed in Gweru on Monday after a month-long recess with a police officer testifying that the 14-year-old rape victim was threatened with “disappearance” if she reported the alleged attack.

The teenager, who claims she was attacked in January after getting a lift from the MP, gave birth early this month, although neither the defence nor the prosecution has entered any evidence relating to paternity tests on the child.

Under cross examination from lead prosecutor Emmanuel Muchenga, the District Coodinator at the Victim Friendly Court in Kwekwe Assistant Inspector Taurai Gororo said the teenage girl told her that Chebundo “forced her to lie facing downwards on her tummy" before raping her and "threatening her with disappearance" if she reported the case to anyone.

Chebundo, the police officer testified, allegedly told the girl "nothing would happen to him" since he could leave the country anytime.

The alleged victim also told police she had been offered a R300 bribe to buy her silence, and when the prosecutor asked how she would know how much it was, the officer replied: "She heard the flipping of papers."

Inspector Gororo denied the purpose of a visit she made to the crime scene, an area near the Old Sebakwe River Bridge on May 20 in the company of the alleged victim, was to influence her on what to say in court.

The policewoman said: "The purpose of my visit on the 20th of May with Sergeant Marunya, Assistant Inspector Madziva, the complainant's mother and the complainant was after receiving instructions from my superiors that I should record a more detailed statement since the complainant showed some confusion and did not clearly explain the scene of the alleged offence.

"And besides, it's our duty as police officers to visit the scene of an alleged crime."

Advocate Happias Zhou, the lead defence counsel, put it to Assistant Inspector Gororo that Chief Inspector Paul Dheka -- the lead investigating officer in the case – told the court last month that “he was never told of that visit".

“He only told this court that he was aware of the visit to the alleged crime scene on May 21 of which he was part of," averred Advocate Zhou.

"And also in the police diary book, there is no mention of that visit and as a police officer what was the reason for not recording?" quizzed Advocate Zhou.

"It was done verbally. I verbally informed him (Chief Inspector Dheka). As for the recording, I was not the one with dockets. I thought the Chief Inspector (Dheka) had recorded it."

She also denied when it was put to her that the reason for not recording was because it was a “rehearsal for the complainant".

"It's not the case, the complainant had difficulties in explaining exactly where the offence had taken place."

Advocate Zhou also put it to her that contrary to what she had told the court that Chebundo’s accuser was raped lying on her tummy, the alleged victim had told the court that "she woke up to find Chebundo on top of her while she was facing upwards".

Assistant Inspector Gororo said she was merely reciting what the teenage girl said.

"And were there officers from the President’s Office [Central Intelligence Organisation] at the scene of the alleged crime?" asked Advocate Zhou.

"You seem to smile at that question, is there anything unusual in asking that?"

And in his concluding remarks, prosecutor Muchenga asked the same question: "Did the CIO have anything to do with this case?"