Job Sikhala fails in bid to have charges tossed, to seek bail

Job Sikhala's bid to have charges of obstructing the course of justice dropped failed Thursday when the court ruled that the fiery opposition legislator had a case to answer.

The CCC lawmaker has been languishing at Chikurubi Maximum Prison on violence incitement charges for over a month now.

The State claims Sikhala committed the offence in a social media video in which he was fuming over the murder of party activist Moreblessing Ali by alleged Zanu-PF activists in May this year.

Fresh charges of obstructing the course of justice were levelled against him when he was already in remand prison.

The embattled politician had challenged placement on remand arguing that there was an unnecessary splitting of charges as he was on remand on similar charges arising from the same incident.

However, prosecutors successfully argued Sikhala committed the offence as charged and should be placed on remand, a position that was confirmed by the court ruling.

Meanwhile, arguing his case for bail Sikhala's lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa Thursday accused the police of making it a hobby to arrest her client for offences that he often does not get convicted over.

This is after Hardwick Maziti, the investigating officer in the matter, had opposed bail arguing the Chitungwiza politician had a propensity to reoffend as confirmed by that he has been arrested 67 times since he joined national politics over the past two decades.

Maziti failed to explain how Sikhala posted the video at the centre of his allegations on June 15 at a time he was already in the hands of the police.

Mtetwa said the fact that Sikhala was arrested multiple times before without a single conviction confirms that police were in fact the ones with a propensity to arrest her client as opposed to Sikhala having propensity of offend.

"The accused was arrested 67 times but he had never been convicted of any and many cases have failed before reaching trial," she said.

"The investigating officer cannot say he had a propensity but they have propensity to arrest the accused.

"He could not have obstructed investigations because he was in custody.

"You want to subvert his right because you kept on saying he has a pending case which you do not want to try him."

Mtetwa said Sikhala was appointed a family lawyer for Moreblessing Ali who was murdered in cold blood allegedly by a Zanu-PF supporter.

She insisted that when Sikhala addressed mourners, it was part of his duties as the family lawyer.

The investigating officer was evidently overwhelmed by Mtetwa's aggressive questioning.

Sikhala's bail hearing continues this Friday.