While she travelled to South Africa on Parliamentary
business, Harare regional magistrate Mrs Esthere Chivasa agreed with the
prosecution request that a warrant of arrest be issued after noting that
Mapfumire skipped her trial date without the leave of court, although the court
had ordered the release of her diplomatic passport until June 9.
The court dismissed the defence argument that since the
bail conditions were modified with the consent of the State, the visit was
permitted and that it was in any case on Parliamentary business, accepting that
she still needed the court to approve her absence from a court hearing and that
in any case the legislature and the courts were different and independent
branches of the State.
Mupfumira, through her lawyer Mr Admire Rubaya, last week successfully
applied for the release of the passport and relaxed her reporting conditions
during the time she will be in South Africa. When the accused passport was
released the court did not give her a leave to be absent, said Mrs Chivasa when
she issued the warrant of arrest against Mupfumira.
This was after the State led by Mr Tafara Chirambira
applied for a warrant of arrest against Mupfumira. Mr Rubaya opposed to the
State’s application saying the State had consented to the release of the
passport with the court ordering for the release of her diplomatic passport
from the Clerk of Court. The accused is being tried by Chief Magistrate Mr
Munamato Mutevedzi and on that account there is no trial that is on-going in
this court. It is critical to highlight the circumstances surrounding the
non-availability of accused. The accused
made application for alteration of conditions. The acting current deputy
Prosecutor General Micheal Reza consented to application in view of Cabinet
Authority letter. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment