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Zim to rule on spy case
07/02/2005 15:35 - (SA)
Harare - A court in Zimbabwe is to hand down verdicts on Tuesday to two senior members of President Robert Mugabe's party and a banker who have admitted selling secrets to South Africa, a prosecutor said.
Peter Dzvairo, Zimbabwe's ambassador-designate to Mozambique, Itai Marchi, a director in Zimbabwe's ruling party and Tendai Matambanadzo, a banker, pleaded guilty to the charges at their first court appearance on December 24.
They later sought to change their plea to not guilty, saying that the confessions were obtained under duress, but a magistrate rejected their argument.
They then sought leniency in connection with their guilty plea.
"The court has adjourned to tomorrow for the sentence," prosecutor Morgen Nemadire told journalists after Monday's hearing behind closed doors in a Harare magistrate's court.
"Both the defence and the prosecution have ultimately concluded their pre-sentence addresses," Nemadire said.
The scandal erupted when an alleged South African spy was nabbed by Zimbabwe Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives at Victoria Falls in December and under questioning revealed the names of his collaborators within the governing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF).
Six senior Zanu-PF members including a member of parliament are accused of taking part in the spy ring that was allegedly providing the South African government with information on the party's affairs.
If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in jail and a hefty fine, or both.
Two others, including flamboyant party heavyweight and businessman Phillip Chiyanwa have pleaded not guilty, while the sixth person, diplomat Erasmus Moyo, reportedly escaped while being moved from Geneva to Harare.
Zimbabwe is also holding the alleged South African intelligence agent, who has been described in media reports as a white male.
- AFP
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