The State has withdrawn charges against Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) former Member of Parliament Gift Ostallos Siziba in a case where he is accused of defacing a political poster belonging to a rival candidate Soneni Moyo, in the run-up to the August elections.
Siziba was charged with other CCC members Alderman Earnest Rafamoyo, Tendai Masotsha, Simbarashe Dube and Lovewell Mwinde.
Siziba’s lawyer Tinashe Runganga of Tanaka Law Chambers confirmed to CITE that the charges were dropped after it was proven that the former Pelandaba MP was not in Bulawayo on the day the offence was allegedly committed.
“What we did during the initial remand of this matter, we moved the application for the call history and location to be provided for by Econet, called triangulation. It shows that Ostallos was out of Bulawayo on the day and time, so commencing trial was going to expose the state, so they were left with no option but to withdraw charges,” said Runganga.
The state’s case is that on August 16, 2023, at around 12 pm, the accused who were travelling in vehicles stopped at Pelandaba Shops and removed and tore campaign posters belonging to Soneni Moyo which were plastered on walls and ZESA pylons. Whilst in the act Methuseli Bhebhe witnessed this and phoned Moyo who then filed a police report at ZRP Western Commonage.
