News / National
Gumbura bail verdict stalls due to missing evidence
29 Mar 2014 at 05:43hrs | Views
HARARE - HIGH Court judge Justice Joseph Musakwa on Friday deferred the verdict on jailed rapist church leader Robert Martin Gumbura's application for bail pending appeal after it emerged some portions of the evidence were missing from the court record.
According to Newsday, Gumbura through his lawyers, submitted a one thousand page application claiming the trial magistrate had misdirected himself in coming up with the conviction and sentence.
The rapist pastor's lawyers are Advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba and Rekai Maposa.
However, the State has insisted that the sentence was appropriate and urged the court to dismiss the application.
Justice Musakwa told the court that some portions of evidence, in particular by Gumbura and some witnesses, were missing from the court record.
The matter was postponed to Friday next week in order to allow the defence team to correct the anomaly.
According to Newsday, Gumbura through his lawyers, submitted a one thousand page application claiming the trial magistrate had misdirected himself in coming up with the conviction and sentence.
The rapist pastor's lawyers are Advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba and Rekai Maposa.
Justice Musakwa told the court that some portions of evidence, in particular by Gumbura and some witnesses, were missing from the court record.
The matter was postponed to Friday next week in order to allow the defence team to correct the anomaly.
Source - NewsDay
