Businessman arrested for raping a petrol attendant

BULAWAYO businessman James Maisiri has been arrested for allegedly raping a female petrol attendant.

Maisiri (50), the proprietor of Cootehill Investments in Thorngrove, on Monday appeared before magistrate Mrs Learnmore Mapiye, but was not formally charged with rape.

He was granted $100 bail and remanded to 12 October.

The court ordered him to reside at Number 7 Nairn Road, Hillside, until the finalisation of his case.

He was also ordered to report once a fortnight on Mondays at Hillside Police Station.

Maisiri and the complainant know each other as he used to fuel his car at the garage where she works.

On 28 September this year at about 1 pm, the woman went to a food outlet along 8th Avenue where she was supposed to meet her sister.

She came across Maisiri, who was buying food and they greeted each other. He then asked for her cellphone number and she gave him and he promised to call her later.

At about 3pm, he allegedly called her and they agreed to meet in the vicinity of the Revenue Hall.

The court was told that they met 30 minutes later and she got into his car.

They drove to a lodge in Suburbs and he led her to a three-roomed house.

They sat in the kitchen and ate the food he had bought and he got closer to her and put his hand on her thigh, but she pushed it away, the court was told.

Maisiri allegedly started caressing her but she once again pushed him away.

He allegedly stood up and went to close the sitting room door and she also stood up and went to stand by the kitchen door.

Maisiri allegedly approached her and pushed her towards the bedroom and once in the bedroom he pushed her onto the bed and allegedly raped her once. The court was told that he did not have protection.

He allegedly later drove her to her residence with her giving him directions.

When she got home she told the landlady of the sexual abuse and she accompanied her to the police where she lodged a report.

Mr Masimba Saruwaka appeared for the State and Mr Kucaca Phulu, of Phulu and Ncube Legal Practitioners, defended Maisiri.

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