Tendai Biti faces treason charges

Tendai Biti faces treason charges
By George Chellah in Harare, Zimbabwe
Saturday June 14, 2008 [04:00]

OPPOSITION MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti, who was arrested on Thursday at Harare International Airport upon arrival from South Africa, is facing treason charges. Police chief spokesperson assistant commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena announced Biti’s arrest on Thursday evening. He said Biti was arrested at the Harare International Airport on Thursday around 12:30 hours.

Bvudzijena said Biti, who is being detained at an unknown place, is facing two charges.
Biti is also being charged with treason, which is now a statutory offence under Section 20 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

“The treason charge arose from a document authored by the MDC-Tsvangirai secretary-general dated March 25, 2008 and titled ‘The Transition Strategy’,” Bvudzijena said.

“Biti is also being charged with contravening Section 31 (a) (iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for communicating or publishing statements prejudicial to the State.”

Bvudzijena said the charges emanated from the claims that Biti made that the MDC presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai had won 50.3 per cent of the presidential vote in the March 29 elections.

Bvudzijena said investigations were still underway and Biti would appear in court soon.
Last April, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri wrote to Biti informing him that police wanted to interview him for falsely and prematurely announcing the election results.

Biti left Zimbabwe for South Africa just after the March 29 elections.
And confirming Biti’s arrest, MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said the MDC secretary general was arrested by plain-clothes police officers upon arrival from South Africa.

“Ten men in plain clothes whisked him away. He was then driven in a twin cab truck registration number AAO 3822 and his whereabouts are unknown,” said Chamisa.