The wife of jailed MDC Alliance MP Job Sikhala, Ellen, has pleaded not guilty to the charges of violating road rules.
Ellen was arrested on 20 September at traffic lights along Seke Road on her way to visit her husband at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
She appeared in court on Wednesday before Harare magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure.
Ellen alleged that she was arrested by the police after she refused to pay a bribe.
Kelvin Magadza, a traffic officer who was controlling traffic along Seke Road on the day said Ellen was arrested, said she was driving her vehicle against the flow of traffic.
Magadza added that he spotted Ellen committing the offence at a distance of about 30 metres from where he was. He said:
<blockquote>
She was driving her car coming from Chitungwiza she arrived at ABC auctions and saw that the lane was congested so she decided to encroach the oncoming lane in order to escape traffic.
As she was driving in this oncoming lane she proceeded to try and go back to the right lane at the “robots” that’s when I arrested her.
</blockquote>
In her defence, Ellen, through her lawyer, Paidamoyo Saurombe, said she was arrested to fix her. Said Saurombe:
<blockquote>
Accused will state that on the day, she did not go against traffic; there were two stationary vehicles she turned into the next lane to avoid the vehicles.
The police demanded a bribe and she refused to pay resulting in them fabricating the current charges.
</blockquote>
Magadza, however, told the court that Ellen was the one who offered to pay a bribe as she was in a hurry to see her husband.
Ellen will be back in court on 27 October for the continuation of the trial. | <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/court-sikhalas-wife-claims-she-was-arrested-for-refusing-to-pay-a-bribe-to-traffic-cops/">NewZimbabwe.com</a>

Pindula News

Sikhala’s Wife Claims She Was Arrested For Refusing To Pay A Bribe

The wife of Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala (CCC) was arrested on Tuesday over an alleged traffic offence while visiting her husband who is jailed at Harare’s Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
CCC interim spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said according to Sikhala’s family lawyer, Mrs Sikhala has been summoned to appear in court on Thursday.
Mahere said she was released and allowed to proceed to Chikurubi with the wife of another CCC MP, Godfrey Sithole (Chitungwiza North), who is also in prison. Said Mahere:
<blockquote>
According to @JobSikhala1’s family lawyer, Mai Sikhala was arrested on her way to Chikurubi over an alleged traffic offence.
A docket has been opened &amp; she’s been summoned to appear in court on Thursday. She was released &amp; proceeded to Chikurubi Prison with Mai Sithole.
</blockquote>
Sikhala, Sithole and 14 other opposition party members have been languishing in pre-trial detention since June following their arrest over violence in the Nyatsime area. They have been denied bail several times.
The CCC members, referred to as the Nyatsime 16, were arrested on allegations of inciting violence in Nyatsime and obstruction of the course of justice in the aftermath of the brutal murder of Moreblessing Ali, a CCC member.

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