The trial of MDC Alliance legislator Joana Mamombe and two
other party activists — Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova — who are facing
charges of communicating false statements prejudicial to the State after
alleging abduction and torture by suspected security agents, is expected to
start today at the Harare Magistrates Courts.
The three, who are out on bail, made false claims of having
been abducted, tortured and sexually abused as punishment for staging an
anti-Government protest.
The State is expected to lead evidence showing that the
trio lied about the abductions to advance a political agenda aimed at
discrediting and eventually overthrowing the Government.
The accused are understood to be seeking postponement of
the trial on various grounds deemed to be delaying tactics which include claims
of suffering temporary insanity.
Lawyers representing Mamombe had asked for a temporary
suspension of her bail reporting conditions claiming she was not feeling well
and was under the care of a psychiatrist.
Mamombe’s lawyer Alec Muchadehama told the court that “she
had been taken ill and currently under the care of a psychiatrist because of
her unstable condition . . . the doctor had recommended a further two weeks to
manage . . .”
According to the State, Mamombe and her accomplices were
captured on CCTV at Belgravia Shopping Centre in Harare at a time they were
claiming to have been in the hands of their abductors.
On May 13 at around 12.30pm, the three gathered at Choppies
Supermarket in Warren Park 1 with other MDC Alliance youths and staged a
demonstration against the recall of their MPs from Parliament and the alleged
misuse of funds for the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the same day, they allegedly called their friends,
family and lawyers, saying they had been arrested at a roadblock near the
Exhibition Park and were taken to Harare Central Police Station.
Upon receiving the communication, their lawyer Mr Jeremiah
Bamu reportedly went to the police CID Law and Order.
Mr Bamu is alleged to have approached a senior officer,
saying the accused had been arrested and taken to Harare Central Police
Station. According to the State, checks were made and it was established that
they were not arrested. On the same day, social media platforms and local
newspapers were awash with news that the three had been arrested, it is
alleged.
Two days later, on May 15 at around 1am, Mr Bamu advised
the police that the three were at Muchapondwa Business Centre in Bindura.
The police and Mr Bamu went to the business centre,
collected them and took them to a hospital in Waterfalls, Harare, since they
claimed to have been tortured.
The State will seek to prove that all the claims made by
the defendants are false. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment