Member of parliament for Mt Pleasant West Joanah Mamombe’s bid to freedom was thrown out by a Harare magistrate after her application for refusal of placement on remand was dismissed.
Mamombe who is being represented by human rights lawyer, Obey Shava was challenging her placement on remand on the basis that she had not been informed of her charges during her arrest and she had been detained for over 48 hours.
Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa made a ruling to the effect that it was not practical for Mamombe to argue that she had not been informed of her charges as she claimed as she had been arrested whilst in the midst of parliamentary work hence the speaker of parliament had to be informed of her charge before she could be excused from the work she was undertaking.
Mugwagwa also said the 48 hour grace period for detaining an accused person as stipulated by law in the constitution lapsed after she had been released from the custody of the police and handed over to the courts but the court could not, however, stand down all the matters it had been dealing with to attend to her as all litigants have a right to be saved as well.
The application was therefore dismissed for lack of merit.
Mamombe who is facing charges of subverting a constitutionally elected government was placed on remand until March 19 in custody with advise to approach the High Court on issues of bail.
She is accused of subverting a constitutionally elected government through a press conference she held in Harare.