State to invite investigating officer before Mahere trial

Senior Court Reporter

THE State yesterday said it will call an investigating officer to explain challenges they are facing in engaging Twitter in a matter where Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere is charged with publishing falsehoods prejudicial to the State.

Mahere is alleged to have tweeted falsehoods that a police officer had beaten to death a child with a baton in Harare.

Yesterday, Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti, prosecuting, told the court that they wanted to call one Detective Constable Moyo on February 15 to outline progress on police engagement with Twitter.

“Before we apply for further remand of the matter, we would like to seek a postponement of the matter to February 15 to allow one Detective Constable Moyo to explain the visit to Twitter.

“We want time so that we can liaise with him to attend court on the day in question,” said Mr Mutsokoti.

Mahere, through lawyer Mr David Drury, opposed the State’s application saying there was an inordinate delay in completing investigations into the matter. Mr Drury claimed that a long period had lapsed since Mahere first appeared in court with police failing to complete its investigations.

He then applied for refusal of further remand.

“It is almost a year and some weeks after she first appeared in court. It is on record that the police have recorded statements from the mother of the child and the doctor.

“The tweets have been downloaded by the police. We do not know why they are taking long to complete investigations,” he said.

Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje said he could not make a decision on Mahere’s application for refusal of further remand without hearing State’s submissions.

Mr Mambanje then allowed the matter to be postponed to February 15 to allow the police to testify in court.

Mahere then made another application for relaxation of her bail conditions and release of her passport.

Through lawyer Mr Chris Mhike, Mahere said she wanted her passport to allow her to travel outside the country to pursue her political party’s interests.

Mr Mutsokoti opposed the application and expressed fear that Mahere might not return to court for her trial.

Mr Mambanje will make a ruling on the application today.