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State
abusing justice delivery system: Mtetwa
Tendai Kamhungira, Daily News
January 17, 2013
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/article/News/9d217b49-4b75-4636-b838-78cf68719993
Top human rights
lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has accused the State of abusing the justice
delivery system by being political in a case in which her client
ZimRights
director Okay Machisa lost a bail bid.
Mtetwa said
this yesterday during a bail application for Machisa, whose organisation
is accused of manufacturing fake copies of voter registration certificates.
She said this
after prosecutor Michael Reza in his submissions opposing bail told
the court that Machisa's action in the alleged offence would
have resulted in the forthcoming elections being declared a "farce"
by the international community.
He said this
would have resulted in the United Nations' intervention and
the country declared a "no-fly zone".
"These
are political submissions, more suitable for a party political rally
not a court," Mtetwa hit back.
"I mention
this before you (court) because the State is in the habit of abusing
the criminal justice system for political reasons and this is done
to misrepresent facts to judicial officers," said Mtetwa.
Mtetwa told
the court Machisa was a suitable candidate for bail and had presented
himself to the police.
She said there
was no evidence Machisa was going to interfere with evidence considering
that the police raided his offices twice but failed to find anything.
Machisa, who
is facing forgery and conspiracy to commit fraud charges or publishing
false statements prejudicial to the State, yesterday appeared in
court in leg irons.
Mtetwa protested
and said this was meant to "dehumanise" her client and
portray him as a dangerous criminal, but Reza justified it as a
security measure after court officials were previously attacked
by suspects.
It is alleged
that Machisa together with Dorcas Shereni, Leo Chamahwinya, Farai
Bhani and Tatenda Chinaka produced fake copies of voter registration
certificates between May this year and this month in a bid to defraud
the Registrar General's office.
The other four
have since appeared before the court.
Magistrate Tendai
Mahwe yesterday ruled that Machisa was not a suitable candidate
for bail before remanding him to January 30.
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