JOURNALIST Hopewell Chin’ono, who is facing charges of defeating or obstructing the course of justice, is seeking relaxation of his bail conditions to go to South Africa to seek medical attention, a Harare magistrate heard yesterday.
BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA
Chin’ono was released after spending 17 days in detention at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison following his appeal at the High Court last week.
He made the application after magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa denied him bail on the basis that he was likely to commit other offences. He is on bail on another case where he is being charged with inciting public violence.
He will be back in court today to submit his application on relaxation of bail conditions which include to surrender his passport, reporting at the Highlands Police Station every Monday and Friday and to reside at his given address.
Chin’ono, through his lawyers Beatrice Mtetwa, Gift Mtisi and Doug Coltart, has also challenged the courts for taking him to an Anti-Corruption Court, arguing that allegations levelled against him had nothing to do with corruption.
However, Gofa told him yesterday that it was the prosecution’s administrative duty to decide which court tried him.
Allegations against Chin’ono are that from October 25 to 27, 2020, he posted information that impaired the dignity, reputation and authority of the courts, and that he had been having secret and unlawful communication with members of the National Prosecuting Authority on his Twitter handle, thus undermining the criminal proceedings against him.
