SW Radio Africa (London)
Alex Bell
4 September 2008
The case against MDC MP for Epworth, Eliah Jembere has been postponed to October after the state's prosecutor and witnesses failed to show at the Harare Regional Court on Thursday.
Jembere was one of six MDC MPs who were arrested last week after he was placed on the police's 'wanted list' for allegedly raping the wife of an MDC councillor. Broadwin Nyaude (MP for Bindura South), Mathias Mlambo (Chipinge East) and Pearson Mungofa (Highfield East) were all arrested last Tuesday, the day MDC MP's heckled Robert Mugabe during his speech marking the official opening of Parliament. They were taken into custody after armed police raided Harare's Quality International Hotel at around 4 am claiming they were looking for MDC MP's on the so called 'wanted list.'
The day before, Shuwa Mudiwa the MP for Mutare West and Jembere were arrested before they were sworn in as members of Parliament. Another MP Trevor Saruwaka (Mutasa Central) was also arrested. Mudiwa was released on the same day after a few hours of detention and Mlambo was granted bail after he appeared in court last week. Meanwhile, Nyaude and Mungofa are both still being held pending high court appeals by the state, while Saruwaka was denied bail when he appeared in court last week and is still behind bars.
Lawyer for the MDC, Alec Muchadehama told Newsreel that Jembere's case has been postponed to the 20th of October after the state's prosecutor was off duty on Thursday when Jembere's trial was expected to get underway. Muchadehama explained that none of the state's witnesses or even the arresting officer managed to make an appearance, and said if the case is further remanded he will lodge an appeal with the High Court to have the case dismissed.
Muchadehama added that Trevor Saruwaka, who has been in custody since he was denied bail last week, has lodged an appeal and the matter will be heard on Friday. Meanwhile, Muchadehama said that the state has so far failed to launch its own appeals against the bail conditions of Pearson Mungofa and Broadwin Nyaude, which has seen them remain in custody.
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