Former minister’s bid for special treatment rejected by court

FORMER Health Minister Obadiah Moyo’s bid to have his bail reporting conditions scrapped flopped after a Harare magistrate dismissed his application.

Regional magistrate Trynos Utahwashe dismissed Moyo’s application saying it was among a number of similar applications made by prominent people ‘seeking preferential treatment’ from the court.

Utahwashe said such applications by prominent people should be discouraged as the courts do not discriminate against accused persons who appear before them.

In his ruling, Utahwashe said such applications are usually made when there are no changed circumstances in their cases.

Moyo had applied for variation of his bail reporting conditions saying they were costly and making it difficult for him to plan for business that needs time beyond two days.

He was ordered to report to police thrice a week.

State had opposed to his application saying he consented to the conditions and should have contested them when he was initially granted bail. -Herald