Freelance journalist summoned to court for violating curfew regulations, public drinking

Edgar Gweshe (R) and his lawyer

Freelance journalist Edgar Gweshe appeared at Mbare Magistrates Court after he was summoned to stand trial on 3 charges of contravening curfew, failing to observe social distancing & public drinking.

The 2 new charges were never preferred against Gweshe when he was initially arrested on 12 June whereupon he was eventually asked to pay RTGS$500 fine for allegedly contravening curfew regulations &not the 2 new offences.

As being stated by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, his lawyers, Gweshe was arrested before 10:PM, which was the scheduled time.

Apparently, Harare Magistrate Barbra Mateko on Tuesday asked the I.O at Marimba Police Station to submit a report on what transpired when Gweshe was arrested.

Magistrate Mateko said judicial officers at Harare Magistrate Court are conducting investigations into his complaint for them to assess whether they can proceed in terms of section 356 of the CP&EA, which provides for setting aside of Gweshe’s conviction & to be refunded once a judicial officer is satisfied that the freelance journalist should not have been convicted.

Zwnews