Hitschmann implicated Bennett - says police witness

Written by STAFF REPORTER

Thursday, 19 November 2009 14:26

HARARE - A chief witness in the trial of Roy Bennett (pictured) has told the court that the MDC treasurer general was implicated by Peter Michael Hitschmann before he was tried for treason in 2006.
Chief Superintendent Sipho James Makoni told the court under cross examination for Bennett lawyer that they used the evidence that was produced by Hitschmann through and affidavit and downloaded emails.
Hitschmann is Bennett's co-accused and now the state's key witness.
Makone, the first among 13 state witnesses to take to the witness stand, also told the court that the statements that were made by Hitschmann were made willingly.
"There is an affidavit and another statement that he (Hitschmann) wrote not under pressure from anyone. The first statement was handwritten and the second is the warned and cautioned statement. The third statement is an affidavit which was recorded from him after having produced emails implicating Bennett," said Makone.
Makone also told the court that they did not interview Hitschmann after they arrested Benntt but the relied on the statements which were also recorded on video and can be produced in court as evidence.
"He implicated the accused when we interviewed him at a police station and the implications are contained in all the three statements including a video and the emails," he said.
The Mutare policeman also admitted that the firearms and ammunition that had been brought in as exhibits were too many.
Earlier on Tuesday Makone had told the court he had personally gone to Hitschmann's house in Mutare to recover an assortment of weapons from Hitschmann. The weapons, according to Makone, included an FN rifle, 1
MP5 sub-machine gun with a silencer, 1 AK47 rifle, 8 Uzzi rifles. Also recovered were 19 tear smoke canisters, 18 illuminating flairs, a tear smoke launcher and 20000 bullets of different sizes.
Makone will continue with his testimony on Monday next week when the trial resumes.
Justice Chinembiri had to postpone the matter again to Monday the second time since the trial began saying he was busy.
The State is represented by Attorney General Johannes Tomana assisted by law officers Chris Mutangadura and Florence Ziyambi.
Meanwhile High Court Judge Justice Charles Hungwe has deferred a bail ruling on arrested MDC transport manager Pasco Gwezere, who facing charges of stealing firearms from an army barrack, to Friday.
Gwezere had applied for bail through his lawyer Alec Muchadehama arguing that the State case was weak and that there is no evidence to show that Gwezere ever entered Pomona Barracks either alone or in the company of others.
Muchadehama said they also argued that the offences were allegedly committed at night on 20 October, 2009 but applicant's wife and children will bear testimony in court that he wasat home during that same day.
"We hear what the judge finds tomorrow (Friday 11AM). Gwezere is denying all the charges," said Muchadehama outside the High Court after the application that was made in the judge's chambers.
The State, represented by Tawanda Zvekare and Michael Mugabe, has however opposed the bail application saying that the Gwezere was facing a very serious offence.
"They have also argued that the police has since arrested five of Gwezere's accomplices and discovered all the weapons stolen form Pomona Barracks. They did not give us the names of those that they arrested," said Muchadehama.

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