Zimbabwe opposition VP Biti released on bail in assault case

Tendai Biti, vice president of Zimbabwe’s main opposition MDC alliance, denies charges of assaulting a Russian national.

 

Zimbabwean lawyer Tendai Biti, 53, was freed on $10,000 bail after a night behind bars [File: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP Photo]

Zimbabwean police briefly arrested a former finance minister and top opposition alliance official late on Friday on the charge of assaulting a Russian national last month, his party’s spokeswoman has said.

Tendai Biti, 53, was freed on $10,000 bail on Saturday after a night behind bars, after being charged with assault.

The provincial head magistrate in Harare, Vongai Muchuchuti, set his trial for January 18.

The charge against Biti, a legislator and vice president of Zimbabwe’s opposition alliance Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), relates to an alleged incident following a court hearing on November 30.

Biti, who is also a qualified lawyer, was involved in litigation, representing a client in the Harare Airport Road scandal, Tatiana Aleshina, a Russian national, who was reportedly whispering information to the prosecution constantly.

Biti voiced a complaint to the magistrate about Aleshina’s conduct.

“After the court hearing, Aleshina confronted honourable Biti threatening that he should not mention his name,” MDC spokeswoman Fadzai Mahere told AFP news agency, adding that she then filed a police report.

He was arrested when he went to the police to clear his name, Mahere added.

“Biti’s only crime is unearthing the corruption scandal concerning the Harare Airport Road land deal involving the complainant, Aleshina, and businessmen linked to [President] Emmerson Mnangagwa.”

In court, prosecutor Idah Maromo argued that Biti had assaulted Aleshina by threatening her, pointing his finger at her face, shouting insults at the top of his voice, “intending to inspire fear of belief into her mind”.

Biti denied the charge and his party described it as “trumped up” and a “weaponisation of the law” to target party members and officials.

His lawyer Alec Muchadehama also said that Zimbabwean police were “not working on their own”.

“There is an external force telling them what to do and who to arrest,” he said.

The opposition alliance MDC said on Twitter that Biti had been detained “on spurious charges”.

“His arrest and persecution are a diversionary tactic by the regime to detract from his expose of the corrupt Airport Rd scandal. VP Biti did not assault anyone,” it said.

Below are the charge sheet and state outline in the "assault" case against VP @BitiTendai. He denies the charges. https://t.co/uQqCMfdlWs pic.twitter.com/QTx7AN5vrk

— MDC Alliance (@mdczimbabwe) December 5, 2020

Biti has previously been charged with treason, among other criminal offences.

Zimbabwean police have in the past arrested several opposition officials, which the party argues is a way of weakening their struggle against the governing ZANU-PF.

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Omoyele Sowore: Anger over detention of Nigerian journalist

Omoyele Sowore was arrested in August on treason charges

Nigeria's state security service says it is still detaining journalist Omoyele Sowore - who is facing treason charges - despite him being granted bail, because nobody came to claim him.

But Sahara Reporters, the news website Mr Sowore founded, reported that his lawyers were denied access when attempting to collect him.

Mr Sowore was arrested in August after calling for a revolution.

The arrest has sparked a public outcry against the intelligence service.

Mr Sowore was also a presidential candidate in the February 2019 election.

An activist and journalist who lives in the US, he has been charged with treason, money laundering and "cyberstalking" for allegedly sharing false and insulting information about President Muhammadu Buhari, who won a second term at the elections.

Is he free to leave jail on bail?

According to security service, known as the Department of State Services (DSS) - yes.

In a statement on Friday, the DSS said it had received a court order for the release of Mr Sowore, but nobody had come to claim him.

"It is important that the public notes that since the receipt of the Order, no person has turned up at the DSS to take delivery of him. This becomes imperative for reasons of accountability," it said.

But Sahara Reporters have disputed this, stating that Mr Sowore's lawyers were blocked when they attempted to collect him.

"On Saturday morning, lawyers and activists stormed the facility to take Sowore home but were met with stiff resistance by operatives, who said they had no clearance to let him go," it reported.

There has been widespread criticism of the DSS on social media over the case.

"This is a joke! Just open your damn gate DSS. He will go home or let me call UBER to pick him!" wrote one Twitter user.

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