Armed police take over High Court security operations

Heavily armed riot police details this morning bulldozed their way into the High Court and denied entrance to hundreds of MDC-T members and relatives who wanted to attend the trial of the 29 MDC-T activists who are facing murder charges.



The trial started yesterday with the riot police firing teargas at the rowdy MDC-T supporters and relatives who were outside the High Court waiting to enter the court for the hearing.

Violence reared its ugly head when hundreds of MDC-T party activists besieged the High Court in Harare to demonstrate against the continued detention and delayed trial of Solomon Madzore and 28 others who are being charged with the murder of ZRP Inspector, Petros Mutedza.

Today, armed riot police blocked anyone from entering Court A.

Even attempts by the defence lawyers to intervene on the grounds that the police moves were illegal as the trial was taking place in an open court, failed to persuade the law enforcement agents to reverse the action.

Justice Chinembiri Bhunu then presided over the trial where Madzore and his accomplices appeared facing charges of murder and public violence.

Justice Chinembiri Bhunu conceded to the request by the defence counsels to first have the bail application before the resumption of trial given that the accused had been incarcerated since late last year.

The matter will continue this Tuesday where the judge will listen to applications from both the state and defence counsels.

The accused have been in remand prison for over a year since their arrest last year in May on charges of murdering a police officer in Glen View, Harare.

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