The Hindu : International : Tsvangirai acquitted in treason trial

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

International

International

Tsvangirai acquitted in treason trial

HARARE (ZIMBABWE), OCT. 15. Zimbabwe's Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was found innocent on treason charges on Friday that his party maintained all along were a bid by the Government to frame him.

Tears of joy

The ruling came as a surprise, because of the widespread expectation that the President, Robert Mugabe, would be able to impose his will on a court system that has been criticised as political and corrupt. Judge Paddington Garwe, ruling in the Harare High Court, pronounced the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader innocent in a long-awaited judgment. Mr. Tsvangirai's supporters burst into applause inside the courtroom when the verdict was announced. His wife Susan hugged and kissed him whiledefence attorney George Bizos stood with tears of joy streaming down his face.

Outside the courthouse, Opposition party supporters cheered and danced for joy while riot police tried to get them to disperse. Sombre-looking ruling party militants stood nearby, watching the celebrations silently. Mr. Tsvangirai said "not guilty" to journalists, and then got into his car and drove away.

Charges retracted

The charges stemmed from State accusations that Mr. Tsvangirai plotted to kill Mr. Mugabe with the help of a Canada-based political consultant, Ari Ben Menashe. There had been widespread speculation that Mr. Tsvangirai would be convicted. However, Mr. Garwe, who took 1 hour and 20 minutes to read his judgment, said the State had to prove that Mr. Tsvangirai made a request to Mr. Ben Menashe to assist in the assassination of Mr. Mugabe.

"No request was ever made," said Mr. Garwe. He said it was clear that Mr. Ben Menashe wanted to entrap Mr. Tsvangirai. He also said the Canadian consultant was not a reliable witness, had accepted money from the State and that his testimony was not supported by any independent credible witness.

`Total vindication'

Opposition party leaders hailed the judgment. "The acquittal is a huge blow to the forces of tyranny," said Gibson Sibanda, the vice-president of the party. The charges were based on a grainy 4 1/2 hour video recorded by hidden cameras during a meeting between Mr. Tsvangirai and Mr. Ben Menashe in Montreal on December 4, 2001. During his year-long trial that ended on February 26, Mr. Tsvangirai's defence attorneys said the tape had been doctored to implicate him in a plot to murder Mr. Mugabe and stage a military coup to seize power.

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