Magistrate 'convicts' Biti before trial

A Harare magistrate was yesterday accused of "convicting" MDC vice-chairman Tendai Biti before hearing evidence in a case in which the opposition leader is facing charges of public violence and prematurely announcing last year's July 30 presidential election results.

Biti is being represented by human rights lawyers Beatrice Mtetwa and Alec Muchadehama.

Mtetwa unsuccessfully filed five court applications challenging the jurisdiction, application for splitting of the charges, application for requests of other court papers to prepare the defence, application for exception of the charges and application for the magistrate's recusal.