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notified the court of his intention to make an application for referral of the matter to the Supreme Court.
Mashingaidze, through his lawyer Mr Ralf Maganga, who was standing in for Advocate Lewis Uriri, told the court that on the next remand date Mr Uriri was going to make an application for referral to the Supreme Court.
Mr Uriri was said to be engaged at the High Court hence his failure to appear in court yesterday.
Mr Public Mpofu from the Attorney-General’s Office told the court that the State would oppose the application.
Magistrate Mr Arnold Maburo remanded the matter to May 10.
The criminal defamation charges arose after Mashingaidze accused some of the national team players of visiting Rushwaya’s offices for purposes of match-fixing.
It is alleged he supplied false information to the media alleging that matches against Zimbabwe and two teams, Guinea and Mozambique might have been ‘fixed’ as Knowledge Musona and Ovidy Karuru had been seen coming out of Rushwaya’s business premises.
Mr Mpofu alleged that on June 12 last year Karuru and Musona were in national team camp at Pandhari Lodge in Harare in preparation for a match against Burundi.
Karuru, who wanted to venture into mining, had arranged with Thomas Sweswe to meet at number 320 Herbert Chitepo where he was to be shown gold detectors and quotations for the equipment, the court heard.
Knowing that Rushwaya worked at the same premises, it is alleged Karuru phoned her informing her that they were at her offices and they were told to wait for her.
It is alleged Sweswe and Zhaimu Jambo met Karuru and Musona and waited for Rushwaya.
However, she delayed prompting Musona and Karuru to leave as they were getting late for training. It is alleged that on their way out they met Rushwaya and owing to time they just greeted each other and left.
It is the State’s case that when the two were going back to camp, they were stopped by Mashingaidze who was driving in Dr Munyonga’s vehicle and he asked them what the were doing at Rushwaya’s offices.
Karuru, the court heard, told him that he had gone to meet Sweswe to be shown gold detectors and quotations.
It is alleged that after the encounter, Mashingaidze went on to give interviews to the media including ZBC, NewsDay and The Herald alleging that the games between Zimbabwe and Guinea, and Mozambique might have been fixed as Musona and Karuru had been seen coming out of Rushwaya’s offices.
The State alleges that the information was widely publicised and circulated on the internet and social networks and that the utterances were meant to destroy Rushwaya in the eyes of the public.
The information suggested that she could not be trusted to be involved in any sporting discipline or any business transaction.
According to the State the utterances by Mashingaidze were grossly malicious, false, insulting and defamatory to Rushwaya.
Online Reporter