29 MDC-T members denied bail for cop murder

All the 29 MDC-T members who are facing charges of murdering a police officer in Glen View, Harare last year were today denied bail by Justice Chinembiri Bhunu.

Citing Section 117(6) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, Justice Bhunu said the 29 members had not shown any special circumstances to be granted bail.

He blamed the legislators for putting in place the Act as it disadvantaged those facing murder charges. Bhunu said the Act stipulates that if anyone murders a police officer on duty the accused person cannot be granted bail unless special circumstances are shown.

Justice Bhunu said the accused had a better chance for a fair trial in the main trial than by appealing for bail.  The accused have been in remand prison since their indictment for trial in March. The have been denied bail on several occasions and some of them have been in prison for over a year now.

Before delivering his ruling, Justice Bhunu attacked one of the defence lawyers, Charles Kwaramba for commenting and blasting the judiciary about the trial in the media.

In the article, Kwaramba is quoted saying; "It just goes to show that there is no equal application of the law. This is a classical example. Here we have police officers who are supposed to protect the people being accused of murdering a civilian for a dollar.

"On the other hand we have 29 civilians who have been in prison for over a year now, being accused of killing a cop. So far, there is no evidence that points at them, but the speed of arrests shows that the police wanted to arrest them because they are MDC.

There were no investigations when the 29 were arrested.

"One wonders how the Shamva cops were granted $50 bail each in a murder case while the 29 activists are failing to get the same even when there is no evidence," said Kwaramba.

Kwaramba said that the moment a person is labelled MDC, then justice will be politicised.

"Just like Mutedza, Chivambo (Luxmore) and Magura (Cephas), left families who expect justice to be carried out in full," he said.

The High Court trial resumes this afternoon. 

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