HARARE - The murder trial of 29 Glen View residents accused of killing police inspector Petros Mutedza in May 2011 is to resume today without the lead counsel Beatrice Mtetwa.

Mtetwa was arrested when she went to assist Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s chief legal advisor, Thabani Mpofu, during a police raid at his Harare home on March 17.

She is remanded in the Chikurubi Maximum Security Female Remand Prison awaiting trial on charges of defeating the course of justice.

During the raid Felix Matsinde, Mehluli Tshuma and former Harare City councillor Warship Dumba were also arrested.

The four are accused of possessing articles for criminal use, impersonating the police and contravening the Official Secrets Act.

They have all been remanded in custody to April 3 after a Harare magistrate denied them bail, but have since filed an appeal against that ruling in the High Court.

Mtetwa’s bail appeal is also to be heard today before High Court Judge Joseph Musakwa.

In the Glen View case, prosecutor Edmore Nyazamba closed the State case on March 11 after hearing evidence by the last witness Gabriel Aguero Gonzalez, a Cuban pathologist who examined the body.

Mtetwa then gave notice that she was to apply for discharge of the 29, following the closure of the State case.

Out of the 29 suspects, only five remain in custody after their freedom bid was turned down, following Justice Chinembiri Bhunu’s ruling that they were a flight risk and that the State had a strong case against them.

The activists are being charged with murder or alternatively public violence as defined in Sections 47 and 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. - Tendai Kamhungira