MDC–T deputy national chairman Morgan Komichi yesterday told a Harare magistrate that when he presented the package containing Constable Mugove Chiginya’s ballots to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, he was not afforded an opportunity to discuss the state in which he received the ballots.
PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI
Speaking during the examination in chief by his lawyer Alec Muchadehama, Komichi told magistrate Tendai Mahwe that when he received the package from Michael Phiri, an MDC-T elections co-ordinator, on July 23, it was already open.
“The grey tamper–proof and the other envelopes were open when Michael Phiri brought them to me and I never tampered with them. I swear to God that allegations that I opened the envelopes are lies. Michael Phiri said the envelopes were already open when he found them,” he said.
Komichi said he received the package from Phiri on July 23 at the MDC-T Harvest House because he was the party’s representative in the multi–party liaison committee that worked closely with Zec.
Komichi said he requested to see the commission’s chairperson Justice Rita Makarau because he felt the matter needed to be dealt with in confidence and urgently.
He told the court that it was not easy to see Makarau.
“I wanted the matter to be handled in confidence that was why I requested to see the chairperson. After failing to see her, however, I was troubled because I didn’t want the day to end before I had delivered the ballots to the chairperson,” he said.
- 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
He said when he went to the commission’s offices he handed over the package to Utoile Silaigwana, but still insisted he needed to see the chairperson so that he could hand over the package to her.
He said Makarau looked busy and Silaigwana took some time negotiating with her before he organised an urgent meeting where the ballots were eventually presented.
“We did not even discuss the state of the papers because Makarau was now pre–occupied with who had brought the ballots and where they had been found,” he said. The trial continues today.
