Prosecutor and lawyer face obstruction of justice charges in altered rape case documents

ZIMSPHERE 

CHIPINGE – A public prosecutor and a legal practitioner have been arraigned before the court for allegedly obstructing justice by fabricating an altered statement in a rape case.  

Timothy Katsande (34), a public prosecutor based in Chipinge, and Benjamin Basikiti (35), a legal practitioner, are accused of conspiring to manipulate a victim’s statement in a rape trial scheduled for January 15, 2025. 

Katsande was prosecuting the case while Basikiti represented the accused.   

The duo allegedly constructed a "statement of agreed facts" using an altered version of the victim’s statement, intending to downgrade the charge from rape to "having sexual intercourse with a child." This misrepresentation was uncovered before the case proceeded to trial.  

Both accused persons were granted bail set at US$100 each. The case has been adjourned to April 25, 2025, for trial.