Maravi

Let the court process prevail over Bennet - Mugabe

Let the court process prevail over Bennet - Mugabe
Written by George Chellah in Harare, Zimbabwe
Friday, February 27, 2009 9:47:26 PM

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has maintained that MDC treasurer general and deputy agriculture minister-designate Roy Bennett must serve his sentence if the courts find him guilty.

During his traditional birthday interview with a few selected journalists at Zimbabwe House, President Mugabe, who turned 85 on February 21, said the court process must take place before amnesty could be considered.

“…It must be strictly within the law… there is no one who is above the law and everybody who is accused of having committed a crime, has a charge, he must answer the case.”

President Mugabe, who was reacting to calls by the MDC for Bennett to be freed, maintained that anybody who has a case to answer before the courts of law must be made to answer.

“If he is acquitted by a court, lets not continue to detain him. Why should we continue to detain a person who has been acquitted by the court? But if the court say yes, a person has a case to answer, we charge him and find him guilty, that’s it,” President said. “There is a sentence and he must serve that sentence. If we decide for one reason or another that amnesty should be granted it’s then granted after the entire court process has taken place.”

Bennett has been in custody since February 11 – just two days before he was to be sworn in as agriculture deputy minister in the inclusive government - accused of possessing firearms for acts of banditry and attempting to leave Zimbabwe illegally.

He was arrested as attempted to secretly leave the country and was charged for his part in an alleged 2006 plot to overthrow President Robert Mugabe by military means after weapons that were allegedly to be used in the plot were found concealed at his accomplice Peter Hichtsman’s farm.

He had been arrested in 2006 but jumped bail and sought asylum in South Africa, only to return three weeks ago when it was announced that he was to serve in the inclusive government.

As he is in custody, Bennett is also awaiting to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister in the newly constituted inclusive government. Bennett was nominated by MDC leader, now Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, to serve as deputy agriculture minister in the inclusive government. Prime Minister Tsvangirai on Tuesday even offered himself as surety to secure Bennett’s release on a US $2,000 bail.

And reacting to newly appointed deputy prime minister Professor Arthur Mutambara’s remarks that the monetary policy statement, which was recently issued by central bank governor Dr Gideon Gono be nullified, President Mugabe dismissed Prof. Mutambara’s statement:.

“That’s just an utterance, emotional utterance that the monetary policy must be nullified, which I’m sure he regrets…. How do you nullify, the budget has gone through parliament? It’s the one that Tendai Biti (Minister of Finance) is using including the monetary policy,” President Mugabe said.

“You see, you must also learn that there are new people (in government) and they will be making a few mistakes. And mistakes are outrageous naturally and they put people off but we will try to correct each other. But it is better…I had not been making any statements myself in fact I had been avoiding making statements.”

He advised his leaders in the all-inclusive government against issuing unnecessary statements.

“We should as much as possible keep quiet and talk to ourselves in the chambers that we had provided ourselves with. But of course, there is always the instinct of let the people hear me and let my voice be heard.. But it may be a croaking voice you know, not quite harmonious and it’s not everybody who can sing,” President Mugabe said.

“Very few people have nice voices, some can make you deaf. That’s just to say lets try to be as quiet and as silent as possible. As we work we will be committing mistakes yes, correct ourselves quietly and get on to the right path and this is what I would what to see.”

Labels: MDC VIOLENCE, MUGABE, ROY BENNETT

posted by MrK @ 9:47 PM