Sikhala's bail appeal fails to kick-off at the High Court

THE bail appeal for MDC Alliance vice-chairperson, Job Sikhala, failed to kick-off at the High Court Tuesday after prosecutors said there was a missing page in his record of proceedings from the Magistrates' Court.

Sikhala is facing charges of publishing falsehoods and has been in jail since January 9.

He was denied bail by Harare magistrate, Ngoni Nduna before he filed an appeal at the High Court.

Last Friday, prosecutors asked for a postponement of the bail hearing citing they had received the record of proceedings late and needed time to go through it before they could respond.

Sikhala was arrested on January 9 at Harare Magistrate's Court where he was part of a legal team representing journalist Hopewell Chin'ono who was arrested on same charges as Sikhala's.

Chin'ono is also in remand prison after his bail appeal at the High Court was reserved last Thursday.

Sikhala and Chin'ono are accused of having tweeted that a police officer had early this month fatally assaulted a baby in Harare.

The same offence also landed MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere in the dock before she was granted bail by Harare magistrate Trynos Utahwashe after spending a week in remand prison.