Accused MDC treasurer general, Roy Bennett But Attorney General Johannes Tomana opposed the application. “The State has not proven its case beyond reasonable doubt,” said top human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, who is leading the defence.

Her name is synonymous with standing up for justice. Intelligent, accomplished and in possession of a legal mind that will tie the opposing counsel in knots; Beatrice Mtetwa is a forbidding character in the courtroom.

Tomana was adamant Bennett should be put to his defence. Tomana said the prosecution had unearthed “overwhelming” evidence against the embattled legislator. “The application for discharge must be viewed as ill-advised,” said Tomana.

The State on Monday closed its case against MDC treasurer general Roy Bennett, paving the way for Bennett’s lawyers to immediately file for discharge of the MDC top official’s terrorism charges.But Attorney General Johannes Tomana opposed the application.

Bennett's lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, told the High Court in Harare. Bennett, an ally of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, was arrested in February and is accused of illegal possession of weapons for terrorism, banditry and insurgency.

Investigating officer Inspector Henry Dowa told the Harare Magistrates Court that very “little progress had been made” because Maguwu and his defence team were refusing to give the investigating officer access to a laptop which was recovered at his house.

It is the state’s case that arms dealer Peter Michael Hitschmann supplied Bennett with arms of war to destabilise the country and that he implicated the MDC-T treasurer through e-mails and confessions to state security agents of the plot to commit treason.

Harare Bureau THE Attorney-General Mr Johannes Tomana yesterday applied to have a defence outline by MDC-T treasurer Roy Bennett on terror-related charges thrown away, arguing it was filed out of time and in breach of the law.

The case has raised tensions in a fragile unity government formed by President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai, whose Movement for Democratic Change says the trial is political persecution.

Roy Bennett arrives at the Harare High Court for his trial By Our Correspondent HARARE – The investigating officer in MDC treasurer general Senator Roy

Defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa wants presiding judge to recuse himself from Bennett case. HARARE - The trial of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)

LEADING ZIM LAWYERS DRAGGED ONTO LORRY FOR PUBLIC BEATING from The Times (UK), 9 May 2007 Armed police drag leading lawyers on to lorry for public beating Jan Raath in Harare Armed police violently broke up a demonstration of lawyers yesterday,...

Mtetwa also raised concern over how firearms discovered from the arms dealer were transported from his house to Adams Barracks without a full contemporaneous inventory done by Dhliwayo.

On Thursday Tomana told Justice Chinembiri Bhunu that he intended to bring in another information technology (IT expert) to testify but Mtetwa objected to the move saying it was equivalent to persecution.

HARARE Jestina Mukoko broke down in court Thursday as she narrated details of her ordeal in the hands of state security agents. The jailed human rights ac

Bennett(52) who President Robert Mugabe is refusing to swear in, was initially charged in 2006, but ran away to South Africa. He returned in February thinking that the politically-motivated prosecution had been abandoned in the spirit of the unity accord.

HARARE Jestina Mukoko broke down in court Thursday as she narrated details of her ordeal in the hands of state security agents. The jailed human rights ac

Bennett’s chief legal counsel Beatrice Mtetwa told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that of the 13 key witnesses for the State, 11 are either from the President’s office or from the police.