High Court reserves ruling on cop killer suspects

reserved the ruling to a later date after hearing arguments from the defence and State.
The trial was also postponed pending the outcome of the bail application. When the ruling is made, the court will now deal with the issue of the trial date.
The 29 allegedly killed Inspector Petros Mutedza who was on patrol duty at some shops in Glen View where the MDC-T supporters were holding a meeting alleged to be illegal.
They are now facing murder charges as well as an alternative charge of public violence.
The 27 suspects, who were out of custody before indictment early this month, made their own application through Mr Charles Kwaramba of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and               Makoni.
The other two, who were in custody, are separately seeking bail through human rights lawyer Mr Gift Mutisi.
Mr Kwaramba argues that his 27 clients had been out of custody and that they never breached any bail conditions until their re-incarceration on indictment.
He argued that the 27 were aware of their trial and indictment in advance but they never attempted to abscond.
Mr Kwaramba also told the                 court that the State case was weak and that his clients had a strong defence.
But Mr Edmore Nyazamba argued that all the suspects should be remanded in custody for fear that they might abscond.
Mr Nyazamba argued that now that the suspects were indicted for trial, the risk of absconding was  high.
He said the suspects now appreciated the seriousness of the offense and that they were likely not to stand trial.
Mr Nyazamba dismissed as unfounded the accused lawyers’ claim that their clients have a strong defence.