Isau Mupfumi's Medical Condition Helps Him Get Bail
ZANU PF Central Committee member Isau Mupfumi has a pending medical operation in Dubai on Saturday and this could be one of the reasons why Mutare Provincial Magistrate, Tendai Mahwe, granted him bail, reported H-Metro.
Mupfumi was among scores of people who were arrested at the weekend after rank marshals engaged in an orgy of violence at the city’s bus ranks on Thursday.
He was granted US$1 000 bail on Monday 27 May, but 49 touts involved in the skirmishes were denied bail. Mupfumi will return to court on June 18.
Besides being instructed to deposit US$1 000 with the clerk of the court, Mupfumi was also ordered to continue residing at his current address, not to interfere with State witnesses or investigations, and report weekly to the ZRP CID Mutare starting on Saturday.
His lawyer, Victor Chinzamba of Mugadza, Chinzamba and Partners, applied for bail citing Mupfumi’s hypertension condition and scheduled medical operation in Dubai on Saturday.
Public Prosecutor, Tirivanhu Mutyasira, did not oppose bail on Mupfumi.
Allegations are that Mupfumi’s senior rank marshal, Farai Chitsa, was allegedly attacked by rank marshals from other bus companies, on Monday last week.
Mupfumi allegedly ordered his marshals to retaliate, and on Wednesday, a group of Mupfumi’s rank marshals allegedly drove to Harare Old Rank in Mutare in two commuter omnibuses.
They attacked marshals from other companies with machetes, sjamboks, sticks and knives. Said Mutyasira:
One of the commuter omnibuses, a Toyota Hiace, Registration Number AFB2518, was being driven by Michael Chinogara.
The other commuter omnibus, a Toyota Quantum belonging to Mupfumi, was being driven by his worker only known as Ndemera.
The Mupfumi Buses rank marshals disembarked and attacked rank marshals belonging to other bus companies with machetes, sjamboks, sticks and knives at Harare Old Rank, Mutare.
Police officers fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and seven marshals were arrested, while machetes and stones were recovered from the commuter omnibus.
The following day, Thursday, Mupfumi’s marshals clashed with marshals from other companies at Murahwa People’s Green Market in Sakubva, and when police officers arrived, they allegedly fled to Mupfumi’s garage. Said Mutyasira:
On May 24, Mupfumi’s rank marshals proceeded to fight with rank marshals belonging to other bus companies at Murahwa People’s Green Market in Mutare.
When police arrived, the rank marshals fled from the crime scene and took refuge at Mupfumi’s garage.
Police, who were in pursuit, arrested 11 rank marshals at the garage.
The 49 rank marshals were all denied bail after Mutyasira opposed bail, stating that the accused people were likely to interfere with witnesses.
The magistrate agreed, saying the offences were committed in broad light, and the suspects were all arrested while committing the offences.
He said the magnitude of the violence can threaten the witnesses involved in the matter and also releasing the suspects would cause a public outcry in the justice delivery system.
More: Pindula News
