HIGH Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu is today expected to deliver judgment on a bail application by 26 incarcerated MDC-T activists, who have been in custody for over 17 months, for allegedly killing police Inspector Petros Mutedza in May last year.
REPORT BY CHARLES LAITON SENIOR COURT REPORTER
The court will at the same time rule on an application by prosecutor Edmore Nyazamba for one State witness in the matter, Edna Chihota, to testify in camera to avoid eye contact with the accused persons.
Justice Bhunu reserved judgment last Thursday after Nyazamba and the activists’ lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa made submissions pertaining to the release of the MDC-T activists on bail.
Justice Bhunu said he needed time to consider the submissions and make an informed determination which is expected this morning.
The judge is expected to decide on whether the application by Nyazamba, who urged the court to consider reimposing reporting conditions against three of the 29 MDC-T activists, Cynthia Manjoro, MDC-T youth assembly president Solomon Madzore and another party activist Lovemore Taruvinga Magaya, should be granted. In his submissions, Nyazamba argued that the three were a “flight risk” and considering that the High Court had closed the third term and taken a break, they could seize the opportunity to escape the jurisdiction of the country’s courts. But Mtetwa challenged Nyazamba’s assertion saying her clients were released on bail after the court felt there was no evidence linking them to the offence, in light of the testimony by the investigating officer Chief Inspector Clever Ntini.
Mtetwa insisted there were changed circumstances in that the High Court was most likely going to take a six-week break.
