Monday, January 25, 2010

Roy Bennett Trial : gun evidence thrown out

News from Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and the trial of Roy Bennett, treasurer for Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and appointed deputy agriculture minister (uninstalled) in the "Unity Government".
Mr Bennett denies all the charges against him, which include terrorism, insurgency, sabotage, banditry and a plot to kill President Robert Mugabe and overthrow his government.
The judge has thrown out the prosecution evidence regarding firearms being hidden:
The judge said the testimony of arms dealer Peter Hitschmann was invalid, after the witness said he had been tortured into implicating Mr Bennett.

The state said Hitschmann had stashed guns for Mr Bennett - accused of a plot to kill President Robert Mugabe.
Hitschmann has been the most reluctant of witnesses throughout his own trial and his "confessions" were found inadmissible in that case in 2006. The presiding judge this time recognizes that, and has also ruled them inadmissible in this trial.

This has been a political persecution from the beginning.

Ending it, freeing Roy Bennett and declaring him innocent of all charges, will show that to everyone.

Once that is seen for what it is, can seeing the end of the Mugabe regime be far from view?

3 comments:

Purr said...

Mugabe is here to stay-

L.Douglas Garrett said...

@Susan

Not if *I* have anything to say about it.

(Yes, I know you were being sardonic about the situation.)

Purr said...

yes, I was-- I have soooooooooooo much to catch up on!