‘Rapist’ MDC-T MP granted bail

via Bulawayo24 NEWS | ‘Rapist’ MDC-T MP granted bail. 11 June 2014

MDC-T legislator and youth assembly deputy president Costa Machingauta was Monday granted a $100 bail by a Gweru magistrate.

Machingauta is accused of raping a Midlands State University (MSU) student on two occasions after luring his unsuspecting classmate into his hotel room.

Magistrate Judith Taruvinga granted the lawmaker bail and ordered him to report to police twice a week, reside at his given address and refrain from interfering with state witnesses.

It is the state’s case that Machingauta raped the MSU female student on two occasions on May 31 and June 1 this year before the matter was reported, leading to his arrest.

Machingauta, who is said to have been booked at a local hotel in Gweru while writing his end of semester examinations at MSU, in the evening of May 31 took the female student for a beer drink at a local night spot and after that took her to his room where he raped her once and a second time the following morning before the girl left the room. The girl subsequently made a police report five days later, the court heard Monday.

Machingauta is represented by Machingauta and Tarven Harvey legal practitioners and is arguing political persecution. He has, instead, claimed being in a relationship with the girl for the past three months.

Daniel Tapfuma appeared for the state. The MDC-T youth leader will be back in court on June 20. – See more at: http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-48852.html#sthash.D9jRCr7X.dpuf