Zimbabwe Judge Allows Testimony in Bennett Weapons Case by Controversial Witness

The trial of Zimbabwe Senate member Roy Bennett resumed Wednesday though only briefly as a High Court judge turned down a motion by lawyers seeking to bar testimony by Peter Michael Hitschmann, convicted in 2006 on a related charge, on grounds that Hitschmann's testimony was coerced and conflicts with public statements he has made.

Justice Chinembiri Bhunu ruled that Hitschmann, who alleges he was tortured into confessing to weapons charges in 2006 and implicating others, can be called as a state witness. He said he determine by the end of the trial if Hitschmann’s evidence carries weight, adding that the allegations Hitschmann was tortured can be brought up during the trial.

Bennett, a former commercial farmer who spent the better part of a year in prison in 2004-2005 for shoving Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in Parliament when he w... ...

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