MDC-Alliance organising secretary Amos Chibaya was yesterday granted $500 bail on allegations of inciting violence and immediately rearrested on charges of plotting to overthrow the Government.
The MP’s lawyer Mr Reginald Chidawanyika said Chibaya, who is the MP for Mkoba, applied for bail at the Masvingo High Court and Justice Joseph Mafusire granted him $500 bail with conditions.
“My client was given $500 bail and part of the bail conditions include residing at his given address and reporting once a month at Gweru Central Police Station,” he said.
“My client was rearrested soon after he was released on bail at Whawha medium prison. He is facing new charges of subverting a Constitutional Government.” On Monday, Chibaya appeared before Provincial Magistrate Ms Charity Maphosa facing one count of incitement to commit a crime.
The MP pleaded not guilty to the charge. Meanwhile, the opposition party’s Chiwundura MP Livingstone Chiminya was yesterday remanded in custody to February 12 to allow police more time to locate two missing State witnesses.
Chiminya — who is also the MDC-Alliance Midlands provincial youth chairperson and is facing one count of inciting violence — appeared before Regional Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa.
He was further remanded in custody to February 12 after the prosecutor Mr Talent Tadenyika made an application for further postponement of the matter to allow the police to locate two witnesses.
“The police have gone out of Gweru to locate the two State witness and we are asking for further postponement,” said Mr Tadenyika.
In opposing the application, Chiminya’s lawyer Mr Brian Dube alleged that the police were lying. “The State is lying about the State witnesses because they don’t exist.
“They just picked two names of criminals on the police wanted list which is at Gweru Central Police Station,” said Mr Dube before notifying the court of his intentions to approach the High Court for bail.
Chibaya and Chiminya, the court heard, allegedly held meetings at their respective houses in Mkoba 13 and 14 respectively on January 13 and incited MDC-Alliance youths to go onto the streets of Gweru to prevent the general public from going to work.
It is alleged that gangs blocked Hamutyinei and Bristol roads in Mkoba which lead to the city centre and Matobo Road in Mtapa which leads into town, using logs and stones.
The youths also burnt tyres, disrupting free movement of vehicles and the general public.
Furthermore, the gangs allegedly went to Choppies supermarket in Mkoba 6 and looted groceries worth $10 000, Flame Lilly Bar Mkoba 1 where they looted merchandise worth $1 363 and Samanyanga shop at Mkoba 10 and looted various groceries valued at $2 500.
They allegedly looted several shops resulting in shops losing over $41 000 worth of goods. Chronicle
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