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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
Former Vice President, Phelekezela Mphoko, who is facing criminal abuse of office charges has requested to have his case tried in Bulawayo where he resides.

Mphoko is accused of  instructing some police officers to release from detention cells, former Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) acting chief executive, Moses Juma, who was facing abuse of office. The former Vice President today appeared before Harare Provincial magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya facing charges of criminal abuse of office as a public officer as defined in Section 174 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Mphoko is currently on $1 000 bail. The State led by Mr George Manokore applied for the postponement to October 4 of the matter saying it was going to furnish Mphoko with a trial date on the day. Mr Mujaya questioned the Prosecution why the matter was referred to a trial court when it was not yet ready for trial.

Mr Manokore responded saying the matter was supposed to come for trial but they are deliberating on the issue of jurisdiction. Mphoko’s lawyer Mr Zibusiso Ncube of Ncube and Partners Legal Practitioners consented to the State’s application for postponement adding that they were not yet furnished with State papers since the matter came on a form 242. Mr Ncube further stated that the record is with the Prosecutor General who is yet to go through it.

“The accused is requesting that he be tried in Bulawayo not in Harare and the Prosecutor General has not consented or declined as he is still going through the record,” he said.

Mr Mujaya postponed the matter to October 4.