HARARE - Zimbabwean police briefly detained a former finance minister and top opposition official late Friday on a charge of assaulting a Russian national last month, his party's spokeswoman said Saturday.The charge against Biti, a lawmaker who is vice-president of Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, arise out of an alleged incident following November 30 a court hearing.
Biti, who is a qualified lawyer, was involved in litigation, representing a client in the Harare Airport Road scandal, Tatiana Aleshina, a Russian national was said to be constantly whispering information to the prosecution."After the court hearing, Aleshina confronted honourable Biti threatening that he should not mention his name," MDC spokeswoman Fadzai Mahere told AFP, adding that she then filed a police report.
In court, prosecutor Idah Maromo argued that Biti had assaulted Tatiana Aleshina by threatening her, pointing his finger at her face, shouting insults at the top of his voice, "intending to inspire fear of belief into her mind". Biti denies the charge and his party described it as "trumped up" and a "weaponisation of the law" to target party members and officials."There is an external force telling them what to do and who to arrest," he said.Zimbabwean police have in the past arrested several opposition officials, which the party argues is a way of weakening their struggle against the ruling ZANU PF.
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