Mabvuku Member of Parliament Timothy Mubhawu regained freedom Thursday on Z$20 million bail pending trial on charges he financed an attack on officials of a rival opposition faction that seriously injured another Harare parliamentarian.
High Court Judge Tedious Karwi heard new arguments for Mubawu and his co-defendant Abraham Kurikwaramba. The high court refused both men bail last week on grounds that they might abscond or interfere with police investigations.
Mubhawu, of the Movement for Democratic Change faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai, stands accused of paying a group of youths Z$15 million to assault Harare North MP Trudy Stevenson and several other Harare officials of the rival MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara. Stevenson was seriously injured in the July 2 attack.
Meanwhile, three others facing charges in the case, Kudakwashe Kuparamura, Pension Gomo and Nhamo Brown, were denied bail in magistrates court. Their lawyer, Douglas Mwonzora, was expected to ask the High Court to set bail.
For more on the proceedings, Patience Rusere of VOA’s Studio 7 for Zimbabwe spoke with Alec Muchadahama, the attorney representing Mubhawu.
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