News / National
Komichi tells the court his side of the story
23 Oct 2013 at 02:03hrs | Views
MDC-T chief elections agent Morgen Komichi, who is facing charges of fraud and contravening the country's electoral laws yesterday told the court that he received unsealed envelops from a man he identified as Michael Phiri.
He claimed that Phiri had received the envelops from another man he did not identify but had picked them from a dust bin at Harare International Conference Centre.
Komichi said this while giving his evidence in chief after the court ruled that he has a case to answer. Seven witnesses testified against Komichi before the prosecution closed its case.
The State had intended to call 12 witnesses but had to reduce the number after the magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe said it was unnecessary to call many witnesses when they were all saying the same things.
Komichi took to the witness stand and swore that he did nothing to tamper with the open envelops that he received. "I swear to God, that the envelops I received were already open. I am not trying to exempt myself from the offence but I am telling the truth before God," said Komichi.
"I did nothing to tamper with the envelops and I frantically looked for ZEC (Zimbabwe Election Commission) chairperson because I wanted the matter to be handled in confidentiality," he said.
Komichi told the court that he was given the open envelops by Phiri who was also given the envelops by someone else and this did not surprise him because Phiri also interacted with Zec officials. "I decided to go and see (Mr Utoile) Silaigwana since I was working with him.
He invited me to his office and I met Tendai Pamire on my way there. I insisted that I wanted to see the chairperson and I was invited to HICC where she was. I was surprised to see high ranked persons there whom I had no intention of seeing because I only wanted to see Justice Rita Makarau," he said.
Komichi swore again that he told the commission that he was given the open envelops by someone who was also given by someone. The trial continues today.
He claimed that Phiri had received the envelops from another man he did not identify but had picked them from a dust bin at Harare International Conference Centre.
Komichi said this while giving his evidence in chief after the court ruled that he has a case to answer. Seven witnesses testified against Komichi before the prosecution closed its case.
The State had intended to call 12 witnesses but had to reduce the number after the magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe said it was unnecessary to call many witnesses when they were all saying the same things.
"I did nothing to tamper with the envelops and I frantically looked for ZEC (Zimbabwe Election Commission) chairperson because I wanted the matter to be handled in confidentiality," he said.
Komichi told the court that he was given the open envelops by Phiri who was also given the envelops by someone else and this did not surprise him because Phiri also interacted with Zec officials. "I decided to go and see (Mr Utoile) Silaigwana since I was working with him.
He invited me to his office and I met Tendai Pamire on my way there. I insisted that I wanted to see the chairperson and I was invited to HICC where she was. I was surprised to see high ranked persons there whom I had no intention of seeing because I only wanted to see Justice Rita Makarau," he said.
Komichi swore again that he told the commission that he was given the open envelops by someone who was also given by someone. The trial continues today.
Source - Herald
