Prosecutor accuses Biti’s lawyer of delaying tactics

Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent

Senior prosecutor Mr Michael Reza on Monday accused Tendai Biti’s lawyer Mr Alec Muchadehama of seeking to further delay progress in the matter by making one postponement after another.

This comes after Harare magistrate Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro dismissed for the second time Biti’s application for her recusal.

Biti is facing charges of manhandling a Russian investor Ms Tatiana Aleshina at the Harare Magistrates Court.

Muchadehama who was absent when the application was dismissed sent one of his juniors to postpone the matter to May 27 saying he would be engaged at the High Court until that day.

However, Mr Reza vehemently opposed the postponement saying the trial had taken long to kick off.

He said Mr Muchadehama and Biti were just seeking postponements to delay trial.

In dismissing the application, Mrs Guwuriro said the mere possibility of bias must be proved in such applications.

She said the court cannot be said to be biased because it has made a ruling which is not in favour of an accused person.

“The accused failed to show bias as required by the law.

“The accused wants this court’s recusal without legal basis, therefore his application is dismissed,” she said.

In his application, Biti said he has so far filed seven cases against Mrs Guwuriro Muchuchuti meaning she was now his opponent.

Biti told the court that he now feels that he would not get a free and fair trial before Mrs Muchuchuti Guwuriro.