The bail ruling for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais chief of protocol, Abisha Nyanguwo, accused of bombing Zanu PF provincial offices in Gweru, has been deferred to today.
Nyanguwo (45) was arrested on Tuesday on allegations of bombing Zanu PF provincial offices at Development House in Gweru on December 27 last year.
The State alleges Nyanguwo arrived at the Zanu PF offices around 11:30pm and placed two explosives near the office entrance before igniting them.
He then allegedly drove off at high speed in his Isuzu KB truck, registration number ABA 6885, with the explosives going off soon after his departure.
The explosives allegedly destroyed property worth $900. Gweru magistrate Sithembinkosi Msipa deferred the bail ruling after the State opposed Nyanguwos application, arguing he was a flight risk and that detectives were still awaiting results of his fingerprint checks.
He was arrested earlier this week and has been detained at Gweru Central Police Station. But Nyanguwos lawyer, Reginald Chidawanyika, argued that contrary to State claims, police had not made fingerprint checks on his client.
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Chidawanyika also said his client was not likely to abscond given that he had offered to surrender his passport, pay bail of $300 and report twice at Mabelreign Police Station in Harare.
However, the investigating officer in the case, Detective Assistant Inspector Fred Navhaya, told the court Nyanguwo could abscond to Botswana or the United Kingdom since he had previously visited the countries on several occasions.
But when it was indicated to him by Chidawanyika that police had not made fingerprint checks on Nyanguwo, Navhaya said it was an oversight on the part of the police. He also maintained that Nyanguwo could abscond despite assurances that he would surrender his passport.
We have many people who illegally cross borders, Navhaya said.
Navhaya said the State would call three witnesses, one of whom claimed to have witnessed Nyanguwo buying explosives in Mvuma in preparation for the attack.
One of the witnesses, Archford Tumbare, would testify he saw Nyanguwos truck when he was sleeping at the Zanu PF offices. In January this year, four MDC-T activists were arrested in connection with the alleged bombing incident, but later released for lack of evidence.
On March 22 this year, armed police officers raided Nyanguwos residence in Harare, claiming they were searching for weapons of war and mass destruction before they impounded his Isuzu truck on allegations it was linked to the bombing incident.
Michael Mhene prosecuted. Comment on this story: feedback@newsday.co.zw