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Tendai Biti back in court
10 Dec 2018 at 05:24hrs | Views
MDC National Chairperson Tendai Biti was back in court on Monday to answer charges of contravening the Electoral Act after he allegedly unlawfully and unofficially announced the 30 July 2018 presidential election results.
Biti pleads not guilty to the charges and the trial resumes on Tuesday after adjourning on Monday. He is being represented by a team of lawyers led by Veteran Human Rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa.
In a celebrated development Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have obtained an order issued Harare Magistrate Mugwagwa allowing accredited media practitioners to carry out live streaming of court proceedings during the trial of Mr. Biti.
Biti is facing charges of announcing the just-ended 30 July election results, a mandate that is the sole duty of the electoral body, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), and declaring the MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa as the presidential race winner.
Further, Biti is being accused of having a hand in the post-election violence that saw the military intervening and shooting indiscriminately at protesters and unarmed civilians resulting in the death of six people and several injured.
United States' Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Matthew Harrington in a statement to the Senate Committee on foreign relations last week said Emmerson Mnangagwa's government should drop charges against former finance minister and opposition leader Tendai Biti to prove that the Harare administration is "serious about taking the country in a new, more positive direction".
Biti pleads not guilty to the charges and the trial resumes on Tuesday after adjourning on Monday. He is being represented by a team of lawyers led by Veteran Human Rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa.
In a celebrated development Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have obtained an order issued Harare Magistrate Mugwagwa allowing accredited media practitioners to carry out live streaming of court proceedings during the trial of Mr. Biti.
Biti is facing charges of announcing the just-ended 30 July election results, a mandate that is the sole duty of the electoral body, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), and declaring the MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa as the presidential race winner.
Further, Biti is being accused of having a hand in the post-election violence that saw the military intervening and shooting indiscriminately at protesters and unarmed civilians resulting in the death of six people and several injured.
United States' Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Matthew Harrington in a statement to the Senate Committee on foreign relations last week said Emmerson Mnangagwa's government should drop charges against former finance minister and opposition leader Tendai Biti to prove that the Harare administration is "serious about taking the country in a new, more positive direction".
Source - Byo24News
