Zimbabwe court rejects witness confessions

Zimbabwe's High Court yesterday ruled that confessions by the chief prosecution witness implicating a key ally of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai were invalid as they were not made freely.

Roy Bennett, a senior official of Mr Tsvangirai's MDC party's is on trial for terrorism and may face a death sentence if convicted. He, however, denies the charges and says he is being persecuted by President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

Mr Bennett, a white commercial farmer and Mr Tsvangirai's nominee for Deputy Agriculture Minister, was arrested on the day some of his MDC colleagues were sworn in as ministers last February.

His arrest and trial has raised tensions within a fragile power-sharing government formed by Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai last February following Zimbabwe's disputed elections in 2008.

"The witness gave evidence... with the greatest reluctance. His demeanour is that of a deeply aggrieved citizen with a gripe against the state," said Judge Chinembiri Bhunu of statements by state witness Peter Hitschmann linking Mr Bennett to a terror plot.

Arms dealer and former police officer Mr Hitschmann, 49, was jailed for three years in 2006 for possession of dangerous weapons, a conviction and sentence he is appealing, but was acquitted on the more serious terrorism charges.