Former Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke is making frantic efforts to secure his freedom. He claims his 14-year jail sentence was politic...
Former Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke is making frantic
efforts to secure his freedom.
He claims his
14-year jail sentence was politically motivated. Kereke has said that
the new Mnangagwa administration would understand that his incarceration was
politically-motivated.
According to court papers, Kereke has already benefitted
from the reduction of his jail term which was allegedly slashed by the Zimbabwe
Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) and had his classification altered from
being a dangerous criminal to a mere class C prisoner.
But the victim’s guardian lawyer Charles Warara, urged the
court to dismiss the bail application and challenged the ZPCS to justify why
Kereke’s sentence was tampered with.
“This is a scandal unfolding. As respondent (Francis
Maramwidze) got to know, there are senior government officials who are working
to ensure the applicant is released from jail. He has simply confirmed those
statements made by leaders connected to him,” Warara said.
“If the ZPCS can chop off 40 months that means, all this
was orchestrated to synchronise with the application for bail…..it will become
meaningless for justice system to benefit rapists on the basis that a court
sentence can be slashed by prison officials just like that…
“He (Kereke) told the trial court that he belonged to the
Lacoste faction in Zanu PF and that the persecution he was facing was as a
result of that. He admitted to be very close to the current President of
Zimbabwe (Mnangagwa) and as such he might be using that influence in prison to
continue his political protection.”
After receiving a response to the bail bid, Kekere lawyers
wrote a letter dated February 22, 2018 addressed to the Registrar (Criminal
Division) of the High Court advising that Kereke was withdrawing his
application indefinitely.
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