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Zimbabwe minister nominee indicted on terrorism and other charges

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Zimbawe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party treasurer general Roy Bennett has been indicted on terrorism and other charges, a lawyer for Bennett said Sunday. Bennett, who was scheduled to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister in the country's new coalition government last week, is accused of funding the purchase of fire arms and explosives intended to be used as part of an insurgency. The MDC has criticized Bennett's Friday arrest, which they characterized as an abduction, and there has been speculation that it could cause increased friction between the MDC and the African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party of President Robert Mugabe. The two groups entered into a power-sharing agreement  in September of last year in an effort to end violence following the country's hotly contested presidential elections. Bennett had originally faced treason charges, but they were dropped in favor of the terrorism and other charges. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Bennett's arrest came shortly after he returned to Zimbabwe for the first time in five years. After being imprisoned in 2004 for participation in an alleged assassination attempt on Mugabe, Bennett sought political asylum in South Africa. In 2006, prosecutors of an alleged coup plot against Mugabe also sought Bennett for questioning, but is not clear whether the current indictment is for those or separate charges.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 15, 2009 (boomark / email).