The state applied for the postponement on Tuesday when the accused civil society officers appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court, with the State citing need for thorough research on bail submissions made by the defence council.
Magistrate Anita Tshuma on Wednesday granted the postponement of the bail ruling to Friday, saying: “I hope by Friday the state will have put its act in order. It must be put in mind that liberty of accused persons not yet proved guilty is at stake here.”
Defence Lawyers led by Trust Maanda, argued that the state had no evidence to lay foundation for a case, let alone conviction.
“The state has made it clear that it has no evidence against the accused as it is basing its case on mere allegations of connivance which hold no water. What investigations are the police still doing? For what?” Maanda argued.
The accused, Dorcas Shereni, Tanaka Chinaka, Leo Chamhahwinya and Farai Bhani are accused of forgery, fraud and publishing false statements likely to be prejudicial to the State.
According to the State, on 31 March, Bhani went to Dema Registrar General’s offices in Seke area and registered as a voter. He allegedly acquired a certificate of registration as a voter.
He later allegedly took the certificate to Chinaka, together with some green flimsy papers. The pair allegedly went on to scan the certificate and produced counterfeit copies using the green papers.
They would complete the forms with false names to prepare grounds on which to criticise the RG’s office, according to the case outline.
The state alleges that Chamahwinya would use the counterfeit copies at ZimRights for analysis purposes. “The conduct of the accused would prejudice the RG’s office which has the sole mandate to register voters and to maintain the voters’ role.”
The State also maintains that if the counterfeit copies were discovered after the 2013 elections, there would be chaos, mayhem and bloodshed.
It is also partly denying the accused bail ‘fearing that if released, they might be attacked by war veterans as a result of the offence they committed, a reason dismissed by the defence council.
The defence council remained optimist that the four will be granted bail on Friday. Human Rights Lawyers, Trust Maanda, Emmanuel Nyambuya,
Tavengwa Masara and Tarisai Mutangi are representing the accused four. On Tuesday, they told the court that people who arrested the Zimrights officers did so improperly and apparently planted documents at the accused persons’ residences.
Post published in: News