Bennett further remanded to October
By KING SHANGO
Published on: 1st July, 2009
Zimbabwe's Number One Social Networking site. Meet old classmates, interact with Zimbabweans across the globe, meet new friends, discuss important issues, find love and much more!
Related News
HARARE – MDC treasurer-general and deputy Agriculture minister-designate, Senator Roy Bennett, facing charges of insurgency, was on Wednesday further remanded to October 13 by a Mutare magistrate.
However, MDC lawyers have said they will oppose further bail at the next remand hearing if the State fails to come up with a trial date. Failure to proceed with trial should prompt the State to drop the charges, defence lawyers said.
Defnce lawyers said the State was trying to drag the case because it had no evidence to prosecute Senator Bennett.
The State case is that Bennett attempted to kill President Mugabe in 2007 and is said to be linked to an arms cache found in Mutare.
Bennett was arrested in February at the Charles Prince Airport on his way to South Africa and spent a month in remand at Mutare Remand Prison.
Bennett is the MDC’s nominee for the position of deputy minister of Agriculture but is yet to be sworn in. Mugabe has said he will be sworin into office together with provincial governors in August.
The MDC says it is not amused with the postponement.
“The MDC is concerned by the continued harassment and arrests of its MPs and officials by the State on trumped-up charges,” MDC spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka said.
“The fact that his case has been remanded further by almost four months means this is just political persecution and the State has no evidence whatsoever linking the deputy minister designate to any crime.”
The MDC spokesman also called for the immediate swearing-in of Bennett as the deputy Agriculture minister saying he was innocent until proven guilty.
Senator Roy Bennett with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
Roy Bennett is a rhodesian racist that deserves everythiung he gets ..I hope they throw his back to Chikurubi lock him up and throw away the keys until he starts rotting from rigormotis
If you are wondering how you can help with this or future events, please contact us . Also, you can contact other