Harare, February 21, 2010 – The trial of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) treasurer general, Roy Bennett is expected to resume on Monday after a two week break inspired by the on-going civil servants strike.

“The trial resumes on Monday. We have written to the court registrar who has in turn advised the accused person about the resumption of the
trial,” Chris Mutangadura, a law officer in the Attorney General’s office.

When the trial adjourned two weeks ago, presiding judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu was set to pass a ruling on whether to allow the
defence to use fake emails in their cross examination of state witness Precious Nyasha Matare.

Matare, a CIO operative working as a typist in Mutare, says she helped police download emails from firearms dealer and Bennett’s co-accused
Peter Michael Hitschmann’s computer during their investigations in March 2006.

The defence is challenging her claims that the emails were authentic communication by Hitschmann and Bennett saying she had no expert
knowledge on information technology.

During the trial, Attorney General Johannes Tomana, who is leading the prosecution, had fiercely objected to the use of his name in the fake
emails by the defence while trying to demonstrate to the court that it was possible for anyone to create an emails address under another
person’s name.

Bennett’s lawyers are adamant that the alleged emails were generated by state security agents out to strengthen the state’s case against the embattled lawmaker.

Bennett, Zimbabwe’s agriculture minister designate, is being tried on a terrorism charge in which the state alleges happened between 2002 and 2006.

According to the State, Bennett hatched a plan with Hitschmann to dethrone President Robert Mugabe’s old administration through acts of banditry and sabotage.

The MDC legislator denies the charges, which the MDC says are trumped up and meant to harass him for his political affiliation. The charges carry a death sentence if he is convicted.