Justice Pisirai Kwenda expressed frustration over the conduct of Wilson Manase the lawyer of Vice President Chiwenga after it emerged he advised the former army boss to withhold the diplomatic passport of Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa-Chiwenga.
Speaking during a Thursday hearing that was part of proceedings in an application brought by the prosecution to vary bail conditions for Marry, Kwenda said:
A client always needs correct advice, and I want to place on record my frustration in the manner the complainant’s (Chiwenga’s) legal practitioners have handled this matter.
All the time they were in denial that the complainant is the one in possession of the accused’s passport, yet they knew this was incorrect.
Clearly, the conduct is discouraging especially considering that the lawyer is a senior centre court officer.
These remarks were made after prosecutor Sharon Fero admitted that Chiwenga was in possession of the passport and had agreed to surrender it before midday.
Chiwenga had earlier suggested in his court papers that Marry possessed three passports and that she had only surrendered one.
The former model told the court that Chiwenga tried to give her the diplomatic passport on Tuesday ahead of the Thursday hearing but she rejected it.
More: Zim Live