THE trial of top human rights lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, who is facing charges of obstructing the course of justice was yesterday postponed to June 29 when cross examinations of State witnesses would continue.
BY MOSES CHIBAYA
Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa postponed the matter to a later date because of lack of time, since yesterday was a Saturday and the court finishes at noon.
Mtetwa was arrested on March 17 for allegedly attempting to block the police from searching the house of a senior MDC-T official in Westgate and the private offices of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in the capital.
Police had allegedly received information the previous day that MDC-T officials — Thabani Mpofu, Warship Dumba, Felix Matsinde and Mehluli Tshuma — were unlawfully compiling criminal dockets in respect of prominent government officials.
Speaking after the court proceedings, Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the Attorney General’s Office, Tawanda Zvekare said the cross examinations would continue at the end of June.
“We are still continuing with the cross examination of Chief Superintendent Luckson Mukazhi, it’s not yet complete. We are continuing on June 29,” said Zvakare. “The defence are still cross examining the witnesses and they have already indicated that they might not even finish with him on that day, so we may need to postpone it to another date for completion of the process.”
Harrison Nkomo, who is representing Mtewa, complained that court cases held on Saturdays were a problem because shortage of time.
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“We have begun the cross examination of the state witnesses but unfortunately, it’s a Saturday and traditionally the court sit until one o’clock so we had to adjourn and we are coming on of June 29. It will be a Saturday again,” Nkomo said.
Nkomo had asked the court to postpone the hearing to August 14 so that they could have a full week with the matter but the state insisted that the case c be heard on another Saturday.
