THE trial of MDC–T deputy national chairman Morgen Komichi, who is accused of misrepresenting to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) that he picked up a sealed tamper-proof envelope with a special vote ballot paper from a dustbin at a Harare hotel, has been set for August 27.
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Komichi is still in custody since his arrest on July 28, just before the harmonised elections.
His bail application was dismissed by Harare magistrate Anita Tshuma and the decision was upheld by High Court judge Justice Hlekani Mwayera.
For the State, law officer Michael Mugabe alleged that on July 25 this year, Komichi approached the commission’s deputy director for public relations, Tendai Pamire, and informed him that he wanted to meet with Zec chairperson Justice Rita Makarau as he had an issue he wanted to raise with her.
It is alleged that in the meeting, Komichi said an unnamed person had informed him that he had picked up an envelope from a dustbin at the Harare International Conference Centre where the special vote was being processed.
He further alleged that he had opened it out of curiosity and discovered that there were some ballot papers.
He alleged that Zec was destroying the ballots which had been used by police officers during the special vote ahead of the July 31 harmonised elections.
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When the ballot papers were opened, it was discovered that they belonged to a policeman, Mugove Chiginya, who had allegedly voted for the MDC-T.
Zec allegedly noted that all the ballot papers did not have the presiding officer mark and that two were marked SV (special vote)while the presidential ballot paper was not marked SV.
Zec reported the matter to the police and it was discovered during investigations that Chiginya had not voted during the special voting exercise. Komichi was then arrested.
