News / National
No changed circumstances warranting the release of MDC-T chairman, court told
05 Dec 2011 at 07:00hrs | Views
There are no changed circumstances warranting the release of MDC-T youth assembly chairperson, Solomon Madzore, on bail in case he is charged with murdering a police officer, the High Court heard on Thursday.
Madzore who has previously lost bail applications at the High Court, on Wednesday offered to be confined to his house for 24 hours until the matter was finalised, as part of stringent bail conditions. His brother Paul Madzore and MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora undertook to deposit surety to the tune of $5 000 each to secure his release.
Madzore also offered to surrender a registration book for his vehicle to the court to convince the court that he had no intentions to abscond.
He argues that police investigations were complete and that he had been offered an opportunity to complete his studies at the University of Zimbabwe and that further imprisonment would shutter his dreams. But, law officer Edmore Nyazamba opposed the bail application arguing that there were no changed circumstances.
He said the police were querying the ownership of the vehicle whose registration book Madzore undertook to surrender to the court as surety.
The prosecution also contends that the 2 legislators - Paul Madzore and Douglas Mwonzora - who offered surety of $5 000 each, were suspects in other pending court cases and that they could not supervise another suspect on bail.
The State also argue that the issue of completion of studies at UZ was not a new issue constituting changed circumstances and that the offer was also being queried by the State. The State, according to Nyazamba, is failing to understand how Madzore was admitted for the programme while in remand prison.
Justice Mary Zimba-Dube deferred the hearing to Monday after directing the parties to file heads of argument addressing the court on what constituted changed circumstances in line with Section 116 c (ii) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
Madzore who has previously lost bail applications at the High Court, on Wednesday offered to be confined to his house for 24 hours until the matter was finalised, as part of stringent bail conditions. His brother Paul Madzore and MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora undertook to deposit surety to the tune of $5 000 each to secure his release.
Madzore also offered to surrender a registration book for his vehicle to the court to convince the court that he had no intentions to abscond.
He argues that police investigations were complete and that he had been offered an opportunity to complete his studies at the University of Zimbabwe and that further imprisonment would shutter his dreams. But, law officer Edmore Nyazamba opposed the bail application arguing that there were no changed circumstances.
He said the police were querying the ownership of the vehicle whose registration book Madzore undertook to surrender to the court as surety.
The prosecution also contends that the 2 legislators - Paul Madzore and Douglas Mwonzora - who offered surety of $5 000 each, were suspects in other pending court cases and that they could not supervise another suspect on bail.
The State also argue that the issue of completion of studies at UZ was not a new issue constituting changed circumstances and that the offer was also being queried by the State. The State, according to Nyazamba, is failing to understand how Madzore was admitted for the programme while in remand prison.
Justice Mary Zimba-Dube deferred the hearing to Monday after directing the parties to file heads of argument addressing the court on what constituted changed circumstances in line with Section 116 c (ii) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
Source - Herald
