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From: as on 16 Dec 2009 18:11
Gwezere bail hearing set for the Supreme Court

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda 15 December 2009

Pascal Gwezere, the MDC transport manager jailed on trumped-up charges
of weapons theft, appeared in court on Monday for a remand hearing, but
his case was postponed to next week Monday by a Harare magistrate.

Gwezere's lawyer Alec Muchadehama told SW Radio Africa that he's
pushing for the case to be heard in the Supreme Court after the
Attorney-General filed an application challenging the bail that was
granted by the High court.

'He's set to go to court for another remand hearing on Monday next week
but we are pushing for the earliest possible time to get the Supreme
Court to hear our arguments. We will simply be responding and arguing
that the AG's office erred in opposing his bail application,'
Muchadehama said.

Gwezere's family is very concerned about his overall health which is
seriously deteriorating as a result of long torture sessions. Gwezere
was granted bail three weeks ago after being charged with weapons
theft, but he has been forced to remain behind bars at Chikurubi
Maximum Security Prison. The High Court granted him US$500 bail, with
strict conditions, but the State immediately invoked a draconian legal
act that kept him in jail, on remand.

Chief Law officer Michael Mugabe, from the attorney general's office,
lodged an appeal against Gwezere's bail in the Supreme Court and until
the court makes a ruling on the matter Gwezere will remain locked up at
the notorious prison.

The senior MDC employee was abducted from his Mufakose home in November
and went 'missing' for a week before he was finally brought before the
courts, bearing signs of severe torture.

He has told the courts his abductors repeatedly interrogated him using
torture methods, leaving him with serious injuries to his head, feet,
leg and back. Despite these injuries, he has been denied access to
private medical care, with prison officials openly ignoring a ruling
that he be allowed access to proper care. The transport manager was
charged with stealing firearms from Pomona Barracks and receiving
military training in Uganda a decade ago. The military training charge
has already been thrown out by the magistrates' court and the MDC say
the theft charges have no basis in fact.

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