Zimbabwe: Biti Insists Trial Be Referred to Supreme Court

By Prosper Dembedza

THE trial of Citizens Coalition for Change vice president Tendai Biti on charges of manhandling a Russian investor at the Harare Magistrates Court continued yesterday with him insisting that the matter should be referred to the Supreme Court.

Biti also said he was going to make an application for the recusal of the trial magistrate, Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro, on the basis that the magistrate forced him to conduct his defence in the absence of his lawyer of choice who had gone to the Master of the High Court.

He further said that in the previous application, he had made complaints against Mrs Guwuriro, the prosecutor, Mr Michael Reza, former Minister of Finance Patrick Chinamasa, newspapers such as The Herald and it's reporter covering the trial.

Biti said Mrs Guwuriro, the Harare provincial magistrate, should recuse herself because she and him were now antagonists as he had now made seven applications against her in the High Court.

He said he had used some very strong language against her in the applications and there is no way she can be expected to continue hearing his case in view of some of the things he has said about her.

Biti will now be cross examined by the public prosecutor on the next remand date.

The complainant, Ms Tatiana Aleshina, is one of the witnesses in a case involving building contractor, George Katsimberis, who is alleged to have defrauded a land developer with whom he had entered into a joint venture to build cluster houses in Harare's Borrowdale suburb.

In the matter, Katsimberis is accused of using plans that were not approved by Harare City Council which led to the show house being demolished.

Ms Aleshina is the chief operating officer of the land developer.

This article originally appeared on The Herald

Photo: The Herald