News / National
Beatrice Mtetwa's trial date set for May 27 - 31
09 Apr 2013 at 03:25hrs | Views
A HARARE magistrate on Monday set May 27-31 as the trial dates for prominent lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who is facing 20 new charges of obstructing the course of justice
Human Rights Lawyer Mtetwa was granted US$500 bail on March 25 by High Court Judge Justice Joseph Musakwa, after spending eight nights in prison.
The Judge ordered her release saying magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa was wrong when she denied Mtetwa bail claiming she was a flight risk.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights quoted Justice Musakwa as saying: "Mtetwa should not have been denied bail by the lower court and the police should have shed light on the nature and scope of the investigations that remained outstanding and that the court should not have denied liberty to a legal practitioner of repute like Mtetwa."
Mtetwa is accused of obstructing the course of justice by insulting police officers when she went to help her clients from the Prime Minister's office who were arrested on allegations that they impersonated the police so that they could gather sensitive information about corrupt state officials.
The judge said although he would describe Mtetwa as a forceful, if not combative personality, she still remained professional in the execution of her duties.
"On State allegations that Mtetwa's purported shouting at the police could have caused or resulted in the disappearance of some computers that the police wanted to recover, Justice Musakwa said being a woman, Mtetwa could and should have been subdued by the police officers," Zimbabwe lawyers for Human Rights said.
Human Rights Lawyer Mtetwa was granted US$500 bail on March 25 by High Court Judge Justice Joseph Musakwa, after spending eight nights in prison.
The Judge ordered her release saying magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa was wrong when she denied Mtetwa bail claiming she was a flight risk.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights quoted Justice Musakwa as saying: "Mtetwa should not have been denied bail by the lower court and the police should have shed light on the nature and scope of the investigations that remained outstanding and that the court should not have denied liberty to a legal practitioner of repute like Mtetwa."
Mtetwa is accused of obstructing the course of justice by insulting police officers when she went to help her clients from the Prime Minister's office who were arrested on allegations that they impersonated the police so that they could gather sensitive information about corrupt state officials.
The judge said although he would describe Mtetwa as a forceful, if not combative personality, she still remained professional in the execution of her duties.
"On State allegations that Mtetwa's purported shouting at the police could have caused or resulted in the disappearance of some computers that the police wanted to recover, Justice Musakwa said being a woman, Mtetwa could and should have been subdued by the police officers," Zimbabwe lawyers for Human Rights said.
Source - news
