News / National
Gumbura's papers now in order
03 Apr 2014 at 21:50hrs | Views
Lawyers representing jailed RMG End Time Message Church leader Robert Martin Gumbura said the missing parts of the transcribed record of proceedings were now part of the High Court file and that the parties were now ready for the bail hearing tomorrow.
Justice Joseph Musakwa last week postponed the hearing to tomorrow after discovering that some evidence in the proceedings at the magistrate's court had not been included in the transcribed record filed at the High Court and that some pages were not in order.
The judge gave Gumbura's lawyers up to April 1 to ensure the registry sortes out the anomaly ahead of the tomorrow's hearing.
On Wednesday, one of Gumbura's lawyers Ms Rekayi Maphosa confirmed that the record was now in good order.
"Everything has been sorted out and the record is now in good order.
"We are now ready for the bail hearing on Friday (today)," she said. Adv Thembinkosi Magwaliba's instructing attorney, Ms Rekayi Maphosa, last week said one of the State witnesses' evidence and part of Gumbura's evidence were not included, attributing the problem to the transcribers.
In Gumbura's bail application, Adv Magwaliba argued that his client had several properties and other business interests in Zimbabwe and these ensured he would not skip bail.
Gumbura said his 11 wives and 30 children looked up to him for survival and he would not try to flee the court's jurisdiction.
He said he loved his family and that he would not attempt to flee.
Gumbura was last month sentenced to 40 years in jail for rape and possession of pornographic material.
Adv Magwaliba added that Gumbura is a man of the cloth and pastors over a church congregation, which has been his source.
Gumbura said he believed that prospects for success on appeal against conviction and sentence were high because State witnesses lied to the court leading to his wrongful conviction.
In all instances of the alleged rape, Adv Magwaliba argued, there were no threats of any harm to the complainants.
It was also claimed that some religious leaders like Pastor Innocent Nehohwa did not like Gumbura and influenced the women to falsely incriminate him.
Justice Joseph Musakwa last week postponed the hearing to tomorrow after discovering that some evidence in the proceedings at the magistrate's court had not been included in the transcribed record filed at the High Court and that some pages were not in order.
The judge gave Gumbura's lawyers up to April 1 to ensure the registry sortes out the anomaly ahead of the tomorrow's hearing.
On Wednesday, one of Gumbura's lawyers Ms Rekayi Maphosa confirmed that the record was now in good order.
"Everything has been sorted out and the record is now in good order.
"We are now ready for the bail hearing on Friday (today)," she said. Adv Thembinkosi Magwaliba's instructing attorney, Ms Rekayi Maphosa, last week said one of the State witnesses' evidence and part of Gumbura's evidence were not included, attributing the problem to the transcribers.
In Gumbura's bail application, Adv Magwaliba argued that his client had several properties and other business interests in Zimbabwe and these ensured he would not skip bail.
Gumbura said his 11 wives and 30 children looked up to him for survival and he would not try to flee the court's jurisdiction.
He said he loved his family and that he would not attempt to flee.
Gumbura was last month sentenced to 40 years in jail for rape and possession of pornographic material.
Adv Magwaliba added that Gumbura is a man of the cloth and pastors over a church congregation, which has been his source.
Gumbura said he believed that prospects for success on appeal against conviction and sentence were high because State witnesses lied to the court leading to his wrongful conviction.
In all instances of the alleged rape, Adv Magwaliba argued, there were no threats of any harm to the complainants.
It was also claimed that some religious leaders like Pastor Innocent Nehohwa did not like Gumbura and influenced the women to falsely incriminate him.
Source - The Herald
