A Zimbabwe court yesterday charged a senior MDC party official over a plot involving terrorism and insurgency, just days after the party joined a unity government with President Robert Mugabe.

But lawyers for Roy Bennett asked the court to drop the charges, saying a court had thrown out similar charges in a related case in 2006.

Mr Bennett was charged with illegally possessing firearms for the purposes of trying to commit acts of insurgency, banditry and terrorism and violating the Immigration Act for trying to leave the country illegally last Friday.

Mr Bennett, who was meant to be Deputy Farm Minister in the administration, was arrested before ministers were sworn in on Friday after entering the country from South Africa and the case raised doubts among political analysts about the new government.

But a senior party official said the MDC may be reluctant to quit the new unity government formed to lead the country out of economic crisis despite Mr Bennett's arrest.

While Mr Bennett appeared in the eastern city of Mutare, President Mugabe chaired the first Cabinet meeting of the unity government in the capital Harare, but details were not available.

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