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Bikita East MP acquitted of fraud charges
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
September 14, 2009

Bikita East MP, Hon. Edmore Marima was today acquitted of fraud at the Harare Magistrates' Court with the magistrate saying he had not committed any offence.

Hon. Marima was facing trumped-up charges of abusing the farming inputs scheme that was established for MPs last year.

However, Magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini acquitted Hon. Marima after agreeing with the defence lawyer Douglas Mwonzora that the MP was given the farming inputs in order to trap him and other MDC MPs.

"There was no offence committed. Information that was meant for the recipients was purposely kept away from MDC MPs in order to trap them," the magistrate said.

Marima becomes the third MDC MP in the past month to be acquitted of trumped-up charges which Zanu PF is trying to use to whittle down the ruling party's majority in Parliament.

Several MDC MPs have in recent months been arrested and brought to court on various trumped-up charges.

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