Court Dismisses Bid To Revoke Mamombe’s Bail

HARARE – A court on Wednesday rejected a request by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to revoke bail for Harare West MP Joana Mamombe.

Harare Judge Stanford Mambanje, in rejecting NPA’s request filed last week, slammed a police officer who crossed out Mamombe’s signature to make it look like she had failed to report to a police station in connection with his bail conditions.

Mamombe is due to report to police once a Friday awaiting trial for allegedly breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules by speaking at a press conference.

She was due to report to Harare Central Police Station on August 27 but left a day later, she told the court, as she returned late from her rural home and a 6 p.m. curfew at 6 a.m. prevented her from doing so to meet the deadline.

Prosecutor Michael Reza had argued that the insolvency was intentional. However, Mambanje ruled that lawmakers would not have come forward the next day if she had intended to flee.

“The accused gave her statement and a senior police officer accepted her statement and he ordered a junior officer to allow her to sign the register,” Mambanje said.

“The behavior of this officer, who canceled the defendant’s signature without obtaining an explanation from his boss, is worrying. The defendant has a right of explanation, which was accepted.

“The behavior of the police in saying that the accused did not sign is incorrect. The revocation was not duly justified. The person who came to court did not explain why he canceled this signature.

Mambanje said the purpose of bail notice requirements is to allow a defendant to appear in court at any time.

He said Mamombe had no history of ratings skipping. While contesting the NPA’s claim, Mamombe’s lawyer, Aleck Muchadehama, had argued that the 28-year-old had always obeyed orders.

“She has checked in three times a week since 2020 and has never failed,” he said.

Muchadehama said she has reported various offenses to the police since February 2020 – 59 Fridays so far.