Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi, facing charges of attempting to subvert a constitutionally-elected government, was today granted bail by the High Court under stringent conditions.
Harare High Court judge, Joseph Musakwa, ordered Kudzai to post a $5,200 bail, surrender his passport and title deeds of his Harare house, and not to travel outside a 40 kilometer radius of the city.
As part of the bail conditions, Kudzayi is required to report to the police twice a week and to surrender his gmail account password to the local police.
The Sunday Mail editor, who returns to court on July 7th, is facing charges of attempting to subvert a constitutionally-elected government, undermining the authority of President Robert Mugabe and communicating or publishing statements, through a Facebook page known as Baba Jukwa, that are prejudicial to the state.
Kudzayi, whose brother, Phillip, is also in custody facing the same charges, is denying the allegations saying some un-named top Zanu PF officials who were leaking information to the real Baba Jukwa masterminded his arrest fearing that he would expose them.
This follows Mr. Mugabe’s public spat with Information Minister Jonathan Moyo and other officials, who the president called weevils trying to destroy Zanu PF from within.
A University of Zimbabwe student Romeo Musemburi was yesterday confined to remand prison by a Harare magistrate for allegedly requesting arms of war from Baba Jukwa.
The police have also indicated that they are keen to interview several journalists, including the United Kingdom based publisher of the Zimbabwean newspaper, Wilf Mbanga.
Meanwhile, the Baba Jukwa Facebook account sprung to life today with more than 481 comments by 5:50pm, two hours after the posting of a message reading as follows: "Cde Edmund has done nothing wrong please acquit him and let him serve the nation, Asijiki!, Ndatenda, Baba Jukwa."
The last post was June 22.