THE 26 MDC-T activists, still in custody over the alleged murder of police Inspector Petros Mutedza in Glen View last year, will most likely spend the festive season behind bars as the High Court is set to close the third term this Friday while the trial is still on. REPORT BY SENIOR COURT REPORTER
On Monday, the activists’ trial failed to proceed after their lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa indicated she had other commitments, prompting the court to postpone it to today.
Initially, 29 MDC-T activists were in custody over the murder charge, but three of them including Cynthia Manjoro, party national youth leader Solomon Madzore and another party activist Lovemore Taruvinga Magaya were recently released on bail after the State conceded there were special circumstances warranting their release.
The investigating officer Chief Inspector Clever Ntini has been accused by the defence of misrepresenting facts over the manner he carried out his investigations.
It has since emerged that although most of the accused persons provided defences or alibis, Ntini reportedly never investigated them to establish the truth of where the accused could have been on the fateful day.
In his evidence-in-chief, Ntini told High Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu that all the MDC-T activists were positively identified at the scene by undercover police officers and informers.
However, Mtetwa disputed the claims.
At some point during the trial, Ntini conceded that the information he received misled him during his investigations of the murder case.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
It also emerged that Madzore’s previous bail dismissals were based on false information which Ntini had supplied to court in the form of an affidavit.
Justice Bhunu, however, concurred with Mtetwa that Ntini had withheld important information about investigations of the accused’s alibis, but rather chose to misrepresent that he had strong evidence linking them to the cop’s murder.
As a result of Ntini’s unreliable evidence Justice Bhunu ordered the State to reconsider its position pertaining the granting of bail to the remaining activists.
But prosecutor Edmore Nyazamba insisted they were not suitable candidates for bail.
