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MDC-T activists to appeal bail denial

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Defence lawyers in the trial of the 29 MDC-T activists accused of murdering a police officer, Petros Mutedza, will on Monday file an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court against High Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu’s bail ruling. Bhunu on Wednesday dismissed the activists’ bail application saying Section 117(6) of the Criminal […]

Defence lawyers in the trial of the 29 MDC-T activists accused of murdering a police officer, Petros Mutedza, will on Monday file an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court against High Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu’s bail ruling.

Bhunu on Wednesday dismissed the activists’ bail application saying Section 117(6) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act approved by Parliament was clear that anyone accused of killing an on-duty police officer would remain in custody until the case was resolved by the court.

On Tuesday, the High Court will go for an inspection in loco of the crime scene.

Justice Bhunu, the prosecution team led by Edmore Nyazamba, all 20 State witnesses, defence lawyers led by Beatrice Mtwetwa and the 29 accused persons would be present.

Meanwhile, the trial continued yesterday with Mtetwa accusing the sixth witness, Assistant Inspector Spencer Nyararai, of fabricating evidence. She said that was the reason why his evidence was not consistent with his own statements and evidence supplied by other witnesses who had testified so far.

“In your statements, you did not mention any singing and chanting of party slogans because that did not happen,” Mtetwa said. “You also did not mention the statement ‘kill the frogs’ which you said referred to the police because that was not said.”

According to Nyararai, the MDC activists were throwing stones at the police officers from the residential stands at the back of Munyarari bar and the deceased was allegedly killed at the front of the bar.

“So you mean the MDC-T activists throwing stones from the back of the bar killed the police officer at the front of the bar?” Mtetwa asked, to which Nyararai replied: “Yes.”

Pointing at a half brick that was presented in court as an exhibit, Mtetwa remarked: “Even an Olympian shot-put thrower could not throw that brick for a distance of over 20 metres.”

Justice Bhunu said he would make Nyararai throw the half brick at the inspection in loco to prove his point after Nyazamba objected to Mtetwa’s cross- examining.