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Zim's Bennett faces new charges

2010-03-31 11:49

Special Report

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Harare - As Zimbabwean politician Roy Bennett arrived at the High Court in Harare on Wednesday to hear whether his application for a dismissal of the state's terrorism trial against him was successful, authorities moved to slap him with new charges - this time for possession of a large amount of maize.

Bennett was summoned to appear in court on April 6 on charges of being in unlawful possession of 109 tons of maize on his farm in October 2001.

Authorities had seized the maize, which Bennett says he grew on the farm for stockfeed and to feed his workers. But no charges were laid until now.

"It's preposterous, absolutely preposterous," said the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) politician, who was nominated by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai for the post of deputy agriculture minister in the country's unity government.

"These people (President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, which controls the attorney-general's office) have no will to move this process forward and bring democracy and making a better life for the people," he said angrily.

The development came as the High Court was due to rule on Bennett's application to have charges of terrorism against him thrown out in a case that has drawn out for over a year.

Bennett was arrested a few days before he was due to be sworn in as deputy minister last year and charged with terrorism, banditry and sabotage for allegedly plotting to blow up radio communications masts east of Harare - charges he emphatically denies.

The MDC sees the case as an attempt to keep Bennett, whose farm was expropriated by Mugabe loyalists, out of government.

The hearing has seen the state's case collapse on its key claim that Bennett and Michael Hitschmann, a French-born local firearms trader, exchanged emails planning the alleged sabotage.

Mugabe has been using the case against Bennett as a reason for refusing to swear in Bennett - one of the main sticking points in negotiations between the MDC and Zanu-PF on implementing their 2008 unity accord.

- SAPA

Read more on: roy bennett | zimbabwe | southern africa | roy bennett trial

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