|
By Lance Guma
24 December 2009
Pascal Gwezere, the MDC Transport Manager who was abducted in October from his Mufakose home and tortured by state security agents, was finally released on Wednesday around 8pm. His lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, told Newsreel his clients bail was paid in the afternoon and by 8pm he had walked out of Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison where he was being held. Prison warders took over 5 hours to process his ‘Warrant of Liberation’ while his wife and relatives waited patiently outside.
On Monday Supreme Court Justice Wilson Sandura threw out an appeal by the Attorney General, who had challenged the granting of bail to Gwezere by the High Court. This meant Gwezere was supposed to be immediately released. But because courts closed early on Monday, and Tuesday was the Unity Day holiday, the US$500 bail was only paid Wednesday. Other bail conditions are that Gwezere has to report to Harare Central Police Station twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays.
Mugabe’s regime is accusing Gwezere of breaking into the Pomona Army Barracks and stealing firearms, a charge that has already been highly discredited. A second charge, that he underwent military training in Uganda, was completely dismissed by the Magistrates Court because there was no evidence.
| 