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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
ZEC deputy director of public relations Mr Tendai Pamire yesterday said there is no bad blood between the commission and MDC–T chief elections agent Morgan Komichi for him to lie against the man.Komichi is facing a charge of fraud and contravening the Electoral Act after he was allegedly found in possession of an envelope containing ballot papers belonging to a policeman, Constable Mugove Chiginya of Mbare in Harare, which he claimed to have picked in a dustbin at a city hotel.
Mr Pamire told the court that his testimony was based on what transpired on the day in question. He was responding to allegations by defence lawyer Mr Alec Muchadehama that he was lying against Komichi.
“Your worship there is no need for me to lie against Mr Komichi. There was and there still is no bad blood against him and Zec,” said Mr Pamire.
“I am not imagining things as alleged by the defence, I am simply narrating what transpired on the day in question which led to the arrest of Mr Komichi.
“However pertaining to the circumstances surrounding his arrest, the commission’s chairperson is the best person to answer to that.”
Mr Muchadehama further suggested to Mr Pamire that his testimony was hearsay. In his response Mr Pamire said his testimony to the court and what he wrote in his police statement, was a mixture of what he saw and what he heard from the meeting.
He said he accepted whatever was said in the meeting arguing that there was no way the commission would lie against Komichi.
Mr Pamire said the commission ascertained that the ballot papers brought by Komichi were genuine.
Asked on what Komichi said after presenting the ballot papers to the commission, Mr Pamire told the court that Komichi said, “You have seen these ballots, can I have them back.”
He added that Justice Rita Makarau refused to give him back the papers on the basis that they would want to be used. Mr Pamire further told the court that he did not take down the serial numbers of the ballots and was unable to recollect the candidates listed on the ballots since he did not handle the papers.
The trial continues today before magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe. Charges against Komichi arose on July 28, after he allegedly misrepresented that a sealed tamper-proof envelope with a special vote ballot paper had been picked at the Harare International Conference Centre where the special vote was being processed.
Online Reporter