Mupfumira bail ruling today 

Source: Mupfumira bail ruling today | The Herald 11 SEP, 2019

Prisca Mupfumira

Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter

The magistrate hearing the case of fired minister Prisca Mupfumira yesterday said he needed more time to prepare his bail ruling, saying there were “intricate jurisprudential” issues that were raised by both the State and defence.

He will make the ruling today.

Mr Elijah Makomo said as a result, he could not rush to make a ruling without thoroughly going through the complex legal issues raised and rolled over the matter to today for ruling.

He said while the bail application was made last week Friday, he did not get time to go through the arguments since he was attending a funeral.

The former Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister who is facing seven counts of criminal abuse of office involving US$95 million which she allegedly committed when she was Labour and Social Welfare minister, made a fresh bail application last Friday following the expiry of her 21-day detention period.

She also made another application challenging her arrest and detention.

Mr Makomo had remanded the case to Monday for ruling, but Mupfumira was further remanded to yesterday after the State indicated that Mr Makomo had lost a relative.

Yesterday, Mr Makomo said: “I would like to apologise first for the delay, but the circumstances are not of my making.

“I lost a close relative on Saturday and had to attend the funeral. I returned to Harare this morning (Tuesday) and only started writing the ruling after lunch. I have covered three quarters of it, if you may be patient with me, by tomorrow 8am I would have finished.

“I noticed that there are intricate jurisprudential issues raised by both parties that I could not rush through hence I need more time to go through them.”

With the consent of both the defence and the State, Mr Makomo then rolled over the matter to today.

Mr Michael Reza represented the State while Mr Charles Chinyama acted on behalf of Mupfumira.