admin
Farai Kuvirimirwa Court Reporter
MDC-T senior officials have failed to attend the trial of the party’s deputy national chairman Morgan Komichi who is facing charges of fraud and contravening the Electoral Act, amid reports the troubled party had dumped him. The MDC-T top brass has been conspicuous by its absence since Komichi’s trial started on Monday.
Only junior party members such as Lawrence Paganga, an office worker at Harvest House offices, have been attending the trial.
Komichi’s close relatives who cited anonymity fearing victimisation condemned the MDC-T officials’ stance, saying their absence was surprising if one considers that Komichi was arrested while conducting the party’s duties .
“We have been surprised by Mr Tsvangirai’s decision not to come to court when we thought he was an inspiration to members within the inner circle of the party, said the relative. Since his (Komichi) arrest they exerted little effort to show they support him.
“We feel they know they used him in the pre-election period and now that elections are over, they no-longer want his services. MDC-T dumped him since the day he was arrested.”
When the trial continued on Friday, ZEC deputy chief elections officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana told Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe that Constable Mugove Chiginya, whose special vote ballot Komichi claimed he picked from a dustbin, did not cast his ballot when the special voting process was conducted.
He said he saw the ballot papers Komichi alleged to have picked from a dust bin at Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
“Cast ballot papers are put in a khaki envelope and afterwards the voter is instructed to seal it before placing it in a ballot box,” said Mr Silaigwana.
Komichi’s lawyer Mr Alec Muchadehama made an application for him to appear in court without leg irons.
Mr Mahwe ruled that leg irons were not necessary when Komichi comes to court and indicated that they be removed before the police beef up security.
Mr Michael Mugabe of the Attorney-General’s Office said Komichi was arrested on July 28 on allegations of misrepresenting to ZEC that he had “picked up” from a dust bin, a sealed tamper-proof envelope with a special vote ballot paper.
Komichi allegedly approached ZEC deputy director of public relations Mr Tendai Pamire and told him that an unnamed person informed him that they had picked the envelope from a dustbin at the HICC where the special vote was being processed.
Komichi further alleged that he had opened the envelope out of curiosity and discovered that there were ballot papers cast by Cst Chiginya in favour of MDC-T.
The commission reported the matter to the police and investigations showed that Cst Chiginya did not vote in the special voting exercise.
This exposed Komichi, with the State saying in court that he was the one who marked the ballot papers in an attempt to tarnish the credibility of Zec.
Online Reporter