News / National
Mangoma granted US$5 000 bail
15 Mar 2011 at 18:39hrs | Views
Energy and Power Development Minister, Mr Elton Mangoma who was arrested for abuse of office has been granted US$5 000 bail by the High Court.
Mwonzora said police pounced on him at Parliament Building, a move he claims was illegal.
"Mine was not a just arrest," Mwonzora said. "I was denied water and food as well as medication while in police cells. The police were not interested in the crime, but to affect the MDC-T in the constitution-making process."
Mwonzora is a co-chairperson of the Constitutional Parliamentary Select Committee.
"I was held incommunicado with no access to my lawyers and was subjected to solitary confinement which is illegal," Mwonzora said. "The treatment I got was inhumane."
He claimed police seized his vehicle and poured sugar into the petrol tank.
"I am taking legal action against the police for that," he said.
The MP also accused a police officer who testified in his bail application hearing for allegedly lying under oath that Mwonzora was not a suitable candidate for bail because he was an ex-convict.
"I was never convicted. I am certainly taking action against the police officers who made me a subject of inhumane treatment."
Mwonzora and 23 villagers from his Nyanga North Constituency were arrested in February and charged with violating Section 36(1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
He is one of the MDC-T MPs who have been incarcerated on what the party has described as trumped-up charges to "reduce the number of MDC-T representation in Parliament".
Paul Mangwana, Copac co-chairperson (Zanu PF), said the arrest of Mwonzora had not affected Copac business as the MDC-T MP was represented in his absence.
Besides Mwonzora, six other MDC-T MPs have appeared in court in the last few weeks on various offences.
They are: Costin Muguti (Gokwe-Kabuyuni); Roger Tazviona (Zhombe); Jani Varandeni (Bikita South); Settlement Chikwinya (Mbizo); Shepherd Mushonga (Mazowe Central); and Elton Mangoma (Makoni North), who is also Energy and Power Development minister.
MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said the party was concerned with the development.
Mwonzora said police pounced on him at Parliament Building, a move he claims was illegal.
"Mine was not a just arrest," Mwonzora said. "I was denied water and food as well as medication while in police cells. The police were not interested in the crime, but to affect the MDC-T in the constitution-making process."
Mwonzora is a co-chairperson of the Constitutional Parliamentary Select Committee.
"I was held incommunicado with no access to my lawyers and was subjected to solitary confinement which is illegal," Mwonzora said. "The treatment I got was inhumane."
He claimed police seized his vehicle and poured sugar into the petrol tank.
"I am taking legal action against the police for that," he said.
The MP also accused a police officer who testified in his bail application hearing for allegedly lying under oath that Mwonzora was not a suitable candidate for bail because he was an ex-convict.
"I was never convicted. I am certainly taking action against the police officers who made me a subject of inhumane treatment."
Mwonzora and 23 villagers from his Nyanga North Constituency were arrested in February and charged with violating Section 36(1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
He is one of the MDC-T MPs who have been incarcerated on what the party has described as trumped-up charges to "reduce the number of MDC-T representation in Parliament".
Paul Mangwana, Copac co-chairperson (Zanu PF), said the arrest of Mwonzora had not affected Copac business as the MDC-T MP was represented in his absence.
Besides Mwonzora, six other MDC-T MPs have appeared in court in the last few weeks on various offences.
They are: Costin Muguti (Gokwe-Kabuyuni); Roger Tazviona (Zhombe); Jani Varandeni (Bikita South); Settlement Chikwinya (Mbizo); Shepherd Mushonga (Mazowe Central); and Elton Mangoma (Makoni North), who is also Energy and Power Development minister.
MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said the party was concerned with the development.
Source - Byo24NEWS
