The trial of MDC Alliance trio, Joana Mamombe (Harare West Member of Parliament), Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, on allegations of faking its abduction in May last year, commenced yesterday.
Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova, who were being represented by lawyers Mr Alec Muchadehama and Mr Jeremiah Bamu, denied the charges when they appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande.
They are charged with publishing falsehoods prejudicial to the State.
Mamombe, Marova and Chimbiri claim that they were abducted from police cells by suspected state security agents following their arrest in May last year at a flash food protest in Warren Park.
They claim that their alleged kidnappers sexually assaulted them and tortured them all the night before dumping them in Bindura where they were found the following morning.
The state refutes the allegations saying the trio faked the abductions with the intention of soiling the image of the state. Authorities have, however, so far not been able to explain how the activists escaped police custody.
The MDC trio is adamant that it did not fake the abduction.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande postponed the matter to May 5 for trial continuation.
More: Pindula News; The Herald