Paul Nyathi

The court hearing journalist Hopewell Chinono’s bail hearing has temporarily stopped proceedings to have a case within the case after the prosecutor presented papers seeking to bar lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa from representing Chin’ono.

The prosecutor is accusing Mtetwa of professional misconduct.

The State alleges Mtetwa has been posting Hopewell Chin’ono court case proceedings on; “Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law” Facebook page, which however is common knowledge that she is not running.

Chin’ono’s bail hearing has since been set aside to attend to the State’s submissions against Mtetwa. Until that application is finalised, the bail hearing will not be proceeding.

Speaking outside the court, Mtetwa told journalists that she does not own the Facebook Page established in her name.

“I am not on Facebook. It does not belong to me. It belongs to Laurie Conway who made that documentary,” Mtetwa told journalists later at Harare Magistrate Court Thursday.

Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law is a film documentary by Conway which highlights the importance of the rule of law by focusing on Beatrice Mtetwa legal work in Zimbabwe.

Chin’ono is a co-producer of the documentary was also asked to take the witness stand to explain the origins of the Facebook page.

He told the court the application by the State to remove Mtetwa as lead legal counsel based on the Facebook page, was targeted at denying him the right to access lawyers of his choice.

“It deliberate calculation to deprive the accused (Chin’ono) a lawyer of his choice. It will be quite outrageous to seek to arrest someone on the basis of information which is on Facebook as anyone can do so in solidarity,” Chin’ono told the court.

Magistrate Ngoni Nduna is expected to make a ruling on the State submissions on Friday.