HARARE – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has asked a court to quash Joana Mamombe‘s bail after the Harare West MP allegedly failed to meet the terms of her Supreme Court release.
Mamombe faces multiple criminal charges, including incitement to violence; breach of COVID-19 regulations by holding a public meeting; participating in an illegal protest and publishing lies while allegedly faking her abduction.
She denies the allegations. As part of her bail conditions, the Supreme Court ordered her to report to Harare Central Police Station once a month.
She had always done this every last Friday of the month.
The 28-year-old told the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday that she arrived in Harare from her rural home late on Friday and was prevented from driving to the police station by a COVID-19 curfew dusk to dawn.
She had gone to her home in the countryside to pick up her sister who was going back to school. The next morning, she rushed to Harare Central Police Station, only to be told she had already violated the terms of her release.
Mamombe was allowed to sign the forms, but her signature was later revoked and the state saw an opportunity to revoke her bail.
Prosecutor Michael Reza urged Judge Stanford Mambanje to send Mamombe to jail so she can await trial behind bars.
Reza tried to obtain an affidavit from Alison Mirimbo, the officer on duty at the police station on Saturday, in which he said Mamombe did not come forward as required by her bail conditions.
Mamombe’s lawyers protested, arguing that Mirimbo’s document was not an affidavit but correspondence between him and the police.
Magistrate Mambanje refused to accept the affidavit because it had not been ordered.
Jeremiah Bamu, representing Mamombe, said the court order ordered MPs to report once a month and “she did exactly that on the 28th.”
He said this is confirmation that this is within the jurisdiction of the courts. The case was adjourned to September 3 to continue arguments.
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