Komichi trial deferred

via Komichi trial deferred – DailyNews Live by Helen Kadirire   9 OCTOBER 2013

The trial of detained MDC chief elections officer, Morgen Komichi, has been postponed to October 15.

State prosecutor Michael Mugabe yesterday gave the court notice that he had travelled out of the country and would only be available next week.

The State has so far led six witnesses who can neither confirm nor deny that Komichi is responsible for allegedly opening the trashed ballot paper.

Komichi’s lawyer Alec Muchadehama has also suggested to some of the witnesses that their evidence is rehearsed as it is identical.

Muchadehama has also indicated to the court that the witness statements provided to the police and that given in court were conflicting.

Allegations are that on July 25 at HICC, Komichi approached Tendayi Pamire asking to have an audience with Justice Rita Makarau after he had found a ballot envelope in a rubbish bin outside the command centre.

Komichi alleged that Zec was destroying ballot papers of members of the uniformed forces who voted for the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC.

The said envelope that was picked by Komichi is alleged to have belonged to Constable Mugove Chiginya, a police officer supposed to have voted for the MDC in his Southerton Constituency.

The court heard that Chiginya however failed to vote during the special voting period and surrendered an SV2 form to his superiors to indicate that.

On July 26, Chiginya’s finger was examined using an ultra-violet light detector and no traces of voting ink were detected.

On July 28, Komichi was arrested by the police at his Bluff Hill home.