By Court Reporter

HIGH Court judge Sylvia Chirau’s husband, Cleopas Mugomba (44), who last week landed in the dock on allegations of raping his housemaid, is being sneaked in and out of the Harare magistrates’ court building using unorthodox points in an apparent attempt to dodge press cameras.

While the court has a common entrance and exit for staff, suspects and the rest of the public, Mugomba, it would seem, has turned out to be a special type of accused person, enjoying the privilege of being smuggled out by suspected court orderlies using the caretaker’s entrance.

On Thursday, he changed from his suit he wore in court and put on a hoody, successfully making it through the untraditional exit.

Mugomba is denying allegations and is shifting the blame on his wife’s brother, only identified as Takudzwa’s father, whom he claims is on a mission to destroy his marriage.

He told court through his lawyer that his in-law was the one who connived with his housemaid, whose name is being withheld, to frame him in a bid to destroy his marriage and shame his own sister.

Court heard from the complainant that the said brother stays at the judge’s home.

Mugomba also claimed his helper created charges against him after he caught her chatting to his in-laws yet they had ordered her not to talk to them.

It is his defence that there was no way he could have abused the complainant since the two were in company of the other helper, one Simplicio, all the time during the days in question.

However, the complainant insisted that Mugomba abused him.

She said the other house helper, identified as Simba once told her that Mugomba once fantasised openly about bedding the “innocent” girl from the rural areas.

The complainant also said that she was not so close to Mugomba’s in-laws since she only stayed with the family for one month.

She also told court that neighbours even witnessed Mugomba begging her not to report him saying it would destroy his marriage.

Mugomba was arrested after he allegedly raped his housemaid at his house in Borrowdale while his judge wife was out for work.

He also allegedly tried to abuse her when his wife was out of the country.

The victim’s phone accidentally captured some photos during the scuffle and he allegedly confiscated it to conceal the crime.

Ressie Nyamombe appeared for the state.