HARARE – The trial of MDC treasurer and deputy agriculture minister designate Roy Bennett is set to start today at the High Court, but defence lawyers want some of the charges struck off.

Bennett, who is accused of possessing weapons for the purposes of committing banditry, insurgency and terrorism – charges he denies – is currently on a US$5 000 bail.

Beatrice Mtetwa, lead defence lawyer said they are going to raise some preliminary issues before the trial starts.

"The trial is expected to start tomorrow (Monday) before Justice Chinembiri Bhunu, but we are going to raise some preliminary issues before we start," Mtetwa said.

"There are issues we want to be struck off the charge sheet because we feel they are hearsay and out of order.

"The state wants to bring Michael Histchmann to testify, but we have since established that what he wants to say is different from what is recorded in his witness account.

"I am not sure if he will plead today as we want to have these issues clarified by the judge."

Mtetwa could not however be drawn to reveal the hearsay issues she wants set aside.

Bennett is a former white farmer who was named by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai for the post of deputy agriculture minister in the country's power-sharing government.

President Robert Mugabe has refused to swear in Bennett to his ministerial post citing the charges against him.

One of the MDC’s most popular leaders, Bennett was arrested a few hours before ministers for the power-sharing government were sworn in last February accused of banditry and terrorism – charges Tsvangirai has repeatedly said are politically motivated and are undermining the unity government that he formed with Mugabe last February.

He was released on bail in March only to be rearrested last month and his detention at Mutare remand prison threw Zimbabwe’s fragile coalition government in turmoil.

The MDC has reacted angrily to Bennett's re-imprisonment, with Tsvangirai on October 16 announcing that the former opposition party had cut all contact with Mugabe’s ZANU PF party and would boycott the country's power-sharing government because it would not “sit in meetings with an unreliable and unrepentant partner” until all outstanding issues in last year’s power-sharing agreement have been resolved.

However, last week Tsvangirai called off the Cabinet boycott saying the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that brokered the power-sharing agreement had given Harare 30 days to find a solution to the problem affecting the deal following a meeting of the regional bloc’s organ on defence and security. – ZimOnline