By 
MDC Alliance Youth leader Obey Sithole spent another night in cells after Magistrate Dennis Mangosi postponed his bail ruling to this afternoon.
Sithole was arrested this Monday on criminal nuisance charges for allegedly participating in a demonstration early this month where he sang protest songs with the lyrics “haikona kutamba neropa revakomana” and held placards inscribed “Free Mako, Free Joana, Ziyambi Must Go”.
His appearance at the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday morning saw his freedom bid temporarily denied after the magistrate reserved the ruling to today 2:15pm this afternoon.
The youthful politician’s legal representative Obey Shava believes his submissions before the court are quite compelling and quite persuasive to warrant his freedom.
“We have made submissions before the court which I do believe are quite compelling and quite persuasive and the court needs some time to go through those submissions and we are back tomorrow (meaning today) at 1415hrs for the ruling,” Shava said.
His bail application was being opposed by the state.
The state wants him to be in custody pending the trial of his matter mainly on the bases that he has a propensity of committing offences whilst on bail, previously he was granted bail and they allege that whilst on bail he committed other offences.
According to Shava, it’s an argument which is very misplaced at law.
“He is still presumed innocent until proven guilty in those pending matters,” he said.
Court session revealed that some Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers released Sithole from police cells the day before yesterday Monday morning to appear at Harare Magistrates Court “but later made a u-turn.”
While under tougher cross-examination by lawyer Shava, the investigating officer admitted that while Sithole and his lawyer were at the prosecutors’ “vetting” office at Harare Magistrates Court, ZRP officers decided to take him back to Harare Central Police Station, saying they had “received instructions from their superiors” who advised that it was too early to take him to court.
The state is represented by Lancelot Mutsokoti.
Comments