Biti Apologises For Verbally Assaulting Tatiana Aleshina

CCC’s vice president, Tendai Biti, convicted for verbally assaulting a Russian national, Tatiana Aleshina, on Monday has apologised.

As reported by NewZimbabwe.com, during mitigation, Biti through his lawyer Alec Muchadehama, told Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti that he didn’t mean to hurt Aleshina. He said he was genuinely sorry for what happened. Said Muchadehama:

The accused is genuinely sorry about the incident. What happened is unlikely to occur again.

Accused has no appetite to engage in that conduct again. He knows what will happen if this sorry case happens again.

He is not a threat to the complainant. Calling Biti a huge gigantic person as she did is an insult especially when looking at Biti.

itel A70 256GB

$99USD

Buy on WhatsApp: +263715068543

Calls: 0772464000

So he was also insulted. So the complainant now has hit back but the accused makes no offence of that.

My submission is that it’s not necessary to protect the complainant in this case.

The accused had no intention to harm the complainant, he is genuinely sorry, and the matter was blown out of proportion.

There was no physical assault, the accused is not a violent person and what happened is likely not to happen again.

He said Biti is a father of five adding that three of his children are in university abroad.

He also said he takes care of his elderly mother and supports orphans and widows in his former constituency, Harare East.

Muchadehama told the court that Biti also said he runs a law firm and piggery business with over 40 employees depending on him.

His mother is diabetic and hypertensive and requires constant medication.

However, prosecutor Tafara Chirambira said despite personal circumstances other factors should be considered including previous convictions. He said:

The issue that he is a legal practitioner places him in a situation where he has an ethical duty to respect the law.

The offence was committed in the corridors of the magistrates courts. The state implores the court to consider that in coming up with its sentence.

The previous conviction certificate placed before the court is for the court to note.

This shows this is not the first time the accused has been convicted for an offence before this court.

The court cannot ignore that submission. That submission was made with no objection…

A fine will not meet the justice of the crime. His mitigation shows he is a man of means and therefore a financial punishment will not be painful to him.

The court is well within its rights to consider community service. Imposing a fine on a person who will not feel it as a punishment will be a waste of time.

Would it be just for the court to say, okay pay another fine when he was fined five years ago?

Suffice it to say, that the penalty for the offence starts from a fine to imprisonment, the State respectfully submit that a fine is too trivial.

Biti was convicted of calling Aleshina a stupid idiot at Harare magistrates court in 2020.

More: Pindula News