Komichi trial in false start

Source: Komichi trial in false start – NewsDay Zimbabwe October 4, 2018

The trial of MDC Alliance vice-president Morgen Komichi (pictured), who is facing charges of attempting to disrupt the announcement of the July 30 presidential election results by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), failed to kick off yesterday after his lawyer failed to collect the court papers to prepare their defence.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

Komichi, who is represented by Obey Shava, appeared before magistrate Ruramai Chitumbura, who postponed the matter to October 18.

The State represented by Michael Reza asked for postponement of the trial, saying Komichi’s lawyers failed to collect court papers for them to prepare for the matter in time.

“Your worship, the defence did not have the court papers, they were told to pick the State papers in time but they failed.

I want to put it on record that the defence has been given all the State papers today (yesterday),” Reza said.

The State had lined up their witnesses who include Zec acting chief election officer, Utoile Silaigwana, security officers Congry Chivira and Phenious Gutu who were all in attendance.

Komichi (54) is being charged with contravening Section 186 of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2.13)

Allegations are that on August 2, at around 10.45pm, Komichi was at Harare International Conference Centre where Zec was announcing the July 30 presidential election results.

After a break, Komichi went to the podium reserved for commissioners announcing presidential results, took to the microphone and began to announce what he called the MDC Alliance rejection of the results.

Komichi claimed that the announcement of results had not followed due process as the MDC Alliance agents had not been asked to verify the results.

The State alleges he was stopped by the police from making further announcements and was later arrested.

Reza and Tafadzwanashe Mupariwa appeared for the State.