Zimbabwe orders release of alleged coup plotters

Zimbabwe orders release of alleged coup plotters

2011-05-25 00:38:12 GMT+7 (ICT)

HARARE, ZIMBABWE (BNO NEWS) -- The High Court in Zimbabwe on Tuesday ordered the release of six people accused of plotting the overthrow of President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's Radio VOP reported.

High Court judge Joseph Musakwa ordered the release of the coup plotters after the state failed to bring them to trial within the six months required by law, following their re-indictment for treason. However, the charges against the accused shall remain.



"The appellants were not liable to be committed to custody upon being re-indicted," read Musakwa's ruling.


The lawyer of the accused, Charles Hwarara, said the State often ignores the court rulings passed against it.



"I hope they will be released this time but I do not know what the Attorney General's office is thinking of doing after this ruling. All
 I can say is that if they think of keeping them inside obviously it's something illegal and might have problems for them because they 
obviously know that the law has been clearly spelt out," he said.



Albert Matapo, a former army captain and alleged ring leader of the coup plot, was arrested in 2007 together with six other suspects on allegations of plotting to violently topple President Mugabe and replace him with Defense Minister Emerson Mnangagwa. The minister, however, has since distanced himself from the group and denied the allegations describing them as 'stupid'.

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