A PRISON officer has found himself in trouble for allegedly facilitating the escape of a serving armed robbery inmate at Harare Central Prison.
The officer, Stewart Muudzwa, allegedly booked the inmate out of the cells on the guise of taking him for routine duties.
Muudzwa was implicated by the inmate after his recapture following a five-month disappearance, saying he paid the prison officer US$150 to facilitate his escape from the prison.
He appeared in court over the weekend facing charges of facilitating the escape of a prisoner.
It is alleged that October 7, 2021 at around 12 noon while at Harare Central Prison, Muudzwa booked out two inmates, including Richard Sasumba, who was serving a jail term at Harare Central Prison for routine duties of casual work.
Claims are that he took the inmates to his home where he spent about 10 minutes in the house, leaving the two inmates outside alone and when he came out he was told by the other inmate that Sasumba had escaped.
A report of his escape was made and through the intelligence of the prisons department, Sasumba was arrested in Epworth on March 11.
When he was interrogated he implicated the prison officer, saying he arranged with him to facilitate his escape and gave him US$150 for the job.
It is alleged that the plan was that on the day, Muudzwa would purport to book the two inmates out of the cells to empty some rubbish, but instead he would take them to his home so that one of them would escape.
Sasumba was reportedly convicted of armed robbery in Bindura and committed to serve his sentence at Harare Central Prison.
When he escaped, reports are that wardens got wind that he was being seen roaming around a shopping centre in Epworth and made a follow up that led to his arrest and implicated the prison officer for facilitating his escape.