Zimbabwe:MDC MP Not Guilty of Fraud: Courts

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By SARAH NCUBE

Published: September 14, 2009

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ZIMBABWE – HARARE – Bikita East MP, Hon. Edmore Marima was on Monday acquitted of fraud at the Harare Magistrates’ Court with the magistrate saying he had not committed any offence.

Hon. Marima was facing trumped-up charges of abusing the farming inputs scheme that was established for MPs last year.

However, Magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini acquitted Hon. Marima after agreeing with the defence lawyer Douglas Mwonzora that the MP was given the farming inputs in order to trap him and other MDC MPs.

“There was no offence committed. Information that was meant for the recipients was purposely kept away from MDC MPs in order to trap them,” the magistrate said.

Marima becomes the third MDC MP in the past month to be acquitted of trumped-up charges which Zanu PF is trying to use top whittle down the ruling party’s majority in Parliament.

Several MDC MPs have in recent months been arrested and brought to court on various trumped-up charges.

Meanwhile The trumped-up rape charges against Mutasa South MP, Hon. Trevor Saruwaka, were on Monday withdrawn by a regional magistrate at Mutare Magistrates’ Courts.

Magistrate Livingstone Chipadze withdrew the case after the State had failed to come up with substantive evidence against the legislator.

Hon. Saruwaka was arrested last year and spent more than a month in remand prison.

Hon. Saruwaka was one of the several MDC MPs, officials and supporters who are facing trumped-up politically motivated charges as Zanu PF with the aid of the Attorney-General’s office is trying to whittle down the party’s majority in Parliament.

The withdrawal of the charges against Hon Saruwaka, coming soon after the acquittal of Gutu East MP, Ransome Makamure, is enough testimony that the cases against MDC MPs are trumped-up charges which have nothing to do with the rule of law. They are part of a sinister political campaign to target our elected officials and to decimate and intimidate MDC structures and supporters. The Zimbabwe Telegraph.