By Tendai Kamhungira
Businessman and Zanu PF official Energy Mutodi was finally granted bail yesterday by the High Court, to end his miserable stay in remand prison where he had been confined for nearly two weeks.
The musician-cum politician was granted $100 bail after the State conceded to his release.
Mutodi is facing charges of undermining the authority of President and causing disaffection among members of the defence forces.
The charges arose from his Facebook post in which he warned the 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe of the consequences of mishandling the Zanu PF succession by intimating that failure could trigger a military coup.
Prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema initially opposed the bail appeal but judge Felistas Chatukuta asked him to justify his reasons.
Chatukuta said the arguments proffered by the State were in adequate and lacked the principles justifying bail denial.
“I will concede that the applicant (Mutodi) may be granted bail in terms of the draft,” Kasema admitted.
Mutodi was ordered to report every Friday to the police, as part of his bail conditions.
The matter had been previously postponed on two occasions to facilitate the provision of a record of proceedings from the Harare Magistrates’ Courts, forcing the businessman-cumpolitician to endure two weekends behind bars.
He had been in remand prison after Harare provincial magistrate Elisha Singano denied him bail on the basis that he would abscond if released. Daily News
