Harare East legislator and Citizens Coalition for Change deputy president Tendai Biti has filed a notice of appeal against a High Court decision that ordered the commencement of his assault trial at Harare magistrates’ court.
Biti is facing assault charges following a verbal altercation with controversial Pokugara Properties chief operations officer Tatiana Aleshina outside Harare Magistrates court premises in November 2020.
Proceedings were stayed after Biti had applied for review of a ruling by magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro and also sought the recusal of the same magistrate and prosecutor Michael Reza whom he accused of being biased against him.
The review application was dismissed by High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi who ordered the commencement of trial.
At the commencement of trial, Biti who is represented by Alec Muchadehama of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni legal practitioners sought postponement of the matter pending the outcome of the Supreme Court appeal notice.
Magistrate Guwuriro will make a ruling on the application on Thursday afternoon.
In his notice of appeal at the Supreme Court Biti is seeking to overturn Justice Chitapi’s ruling.
Biti is also seeking the recusal of both the magistrate Guwuriro and prosecutor Michael Reza arguing that they are biased.
This follows the dismissal of Biti’s application for postponement of trial due to the unavailability of his lawyer who was engaged at the Master of High Court.
