Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HARARE933
2006-07-25 10:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Harare
Cable title:
STEVENSON ATTACK TRIAL POSTPONED A MONTH
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C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000933
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR H.SERVIN-BAEZ
SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2015
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PHUM PREL ZI
SUBJECT: STEVENSON ATTACK TRIAL POSTPONED A MONTH
REF: A. REF A: HARARE 918 AND PREVIOUS
B. REF B: HARARE 319
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell for reasons 1.5 b/d
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000933
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR H.SERVIN-BAEZ
SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2015
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PHUM PREL ZI
SUBJECT: STEVENSON ATTACK TRIAL POSTPONED A MONTH
REF: A. REF A: HARARE 918 AND PREVIOUS
B. REF B: HARARE 319
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell for reasons 1.5 b/d
1. (U) The trial of six accused assailants of pro-Senate MDC
MP Stevenson and four other pro-Senate faction officials
convened on July 20. Magistrate William Bhila immediately
postponed the case until August 23 so that prosecutors could
amend the charges to include a seventh suspect arrested on
July 17 (Ref A). Bhila also denied bail to this suspect
along with the three other suspects arrested recently.
Stevenson told post on July 20 that she could identify the
last four suspects arrested as some of the attackers,
including the woman who had stolen her mobile phone.
2. (C) Stevenson, however, acknowledged that she could not
identify the first three suspects. The defense attorney for
the first three suspects, Douglas Mwonzora, told us on July
20 that he believed the police had arrested his clients based
on information from police informants, not the victims of the
attack. Moreover, Mwonzora said that he had gathered
information showing that "other people" were involved in the
attack, which he would present once the trial resumed.
Separately, the High Court on July 19 overturned Bhila's
denial of bail for the initial three accused attackers.
3. (SBU) Also on July 20, the High Court granted bail for
anti-Senate MDC MP for Mabvuku-Tafara Timothy Mubawu and
another anti-Senate MDC official in the district who had been
arrested earlier in the month for allegedly organizing the
attack. Justifying the release, High Court Justice Charles
Hungwe cited "gross misdirection" on behalf of Magistrate
Faith Mushore who denied bail. Mubawu and his co-accused are
due back in court on July 26 when the charges will be
formally read. No trial date has yet been set. (N.B. A rare
voice of independence in the judiciary, Hungwe is the same
judge who withdrew charges against several MDC supporters
that the GOZ attempted to link to the arms cache discovered
earlier this year near Mutare (Ref B).)
--------------
Comment
--------------
4. (C) The trial, at least for the initial three accused and
possibly Mubawu, who have more apparent ties to Tsvangirai's
faction of the MDC than the others arrested, appears to be a
set-up. The repeated postponements and reversal of lower
court bail decisions indicate that prosecutors are
desperately searching for something to pin on the accused and
failing. Regardless of the final verdict, the delays allow
the GOZ to continue spinning the story for as long as
possible to the detriment of the MDC.
DELL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR H.SERVIN-BAEZ
SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2015
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PHUM PREL ZI
SUBJECT: STEVENSON ATTACK TRIAL POSTPONED A MONTH
REF: A. REF A: HARARE 918 AND PREVIOUS
B. REF B: HARARE 319
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell for reasons 1.5 b/d
1. (U) The trial of six accused assailants of pro-Senate MDC
MP Stevenson and four other pro-Senate faction officials
convened on July 20. Magistrate William Bhila immediately
postponed the case until August 23 so that prosecutors could
amend the charges to include a seventh suspect arrested on
July 17 (Ref A). Bhila also denied bail to this suspect
along with the three other suspects arrested recently.
Stevenson told post on July 20 that she could identify the
last four suspects arrested as some of the attackers,
including the woman who had stolen her mobile phone.
2. (C) Stevenson, however, acknowledged that she could not
identify the first three suspects. The defense attorney for
the first three suspects, Douglas Mwonzora, told us on July
20 that he believed the police had arrested his clients based
on information from police informants, not the victims of the
attack. Moreover, Mwonzora said that he had gathered
information showing that "other people" were involved in the
attack, which he would present once the trial resumed.
Separately, the High Court on July 19 overturned Bhila's
denial of bail for the initial three accused attackers.
3. (SBU) Also on July 20, the High Court granted bail for
anti-Senate MDC MP for Mabvuku-Tafara Timothy Mubawu and
another anti-Senate MDC official in the district who had been
arrested earlier in the month for allegedly organizing the
attack. Justifying the release, High Court Justice Charles
Hungwe cited "gross misdirection" on behalf of Magistrate
Faith Mushore who denied bail. Mubawu and his co-accused are
due back in court on July 26 when the charges will be
formally read. No trial date has yet been set. (N.B. A rare
voice of independence in the judiciary, Hungwe is the same
judge who withdrew charges against several MDC supporters
that the GOZ attempted to link to the arms cache discovered
earlier this year near Mutare (Ref B).)
--------------
Comment
--------------
4. (C) The trial, at least for the initial three accused and
possibly Mubawu, who have more apparent ties to Tsvangirai's
faction of the MDC than the others arrested, appears to be a
set-up. The repeated postponements and reversal of lower
court bail decisions indicate that prosecutors are
desperately searching for something to pin on the accused and
failing. Regardless of the final verdict, the delays allow
the GOZ to continue spinning the story for as long as
possible to the detriment of the MDC.
DELL