WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2003-02-07 Posted By: Jan
From the News Archives of: WWW.AfricanCrisis.Org
Date & Time Posted: 2/7/2003 2:35:26 PM
Zim "witness" a fraudster
Tsvangirai says he is being framed Lawyers defending Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on treason charges have accused the key prosecution witness of being a serial fraudster.
They say that Canada-based political consultant Ari Ben-Menashe video-taped a meeting with Mr Tsvangirai as part of a government plot to stifle the opposition.
Mr Tsvangirai and two colleagues from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) pleaded not guilty to treason charges when the trial began on Monday.
Mr Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli intelligence officer, says the three contracted him to assassinate President Robert Mugabe before last year’s elections.
Mr Mugabe won but international observers said the poll was marred by violence and fraud and Mr Tsvangirai is contesting the result in court.
Coincidence
South African anti-apartheid lawyer George Bizos said prosecutors would not give him any information on Mr Ben-Menashe’s work for the government, though the consultant testified that he had been paid about $1m for his lobbying work.
Prosecutors said Mr Ben Menashe’s services to the government were unrelated to the treason charges, Mr Bizos told Judge Paddington Garwe.
“There is a similarity between the fraud we say was committed against the MDC and its office bearers and a number of other frauds that have been committed by the witness and his companies by interfering with high profile political matters, getting money and then turning the tables against the people to whom the fraudulent representations were made,” Mr Bizos said.
The lawyer submitted documents of a London arbitration court ruling that one of Mr Ben-Menashe’s companies had failed to deliver $7million-worth of promised corn to Zambia.
Mr Ben-Menashe said that deal was altered by former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba and was still being contested by lawyers.
‘Not elimination’
The court has also been watching the grainy video, which Mr Ben-Menashe recorded as evidence against Mr Tsvangirai.
Ari Ben-Menashe: A former Israeli intelligence officer
During one of the audible sections of the tape, Mr Tsvangirai said:
“The discussion was never about the elimination of Mugabe, it was about the election, and the post-election outcome.”
Mr Ben-Menashe said on Tuesday that the MDC had signed a $500,000 contract with his firm and promised $10m to the head of the air force, Air Marshal Perence Shiri, to stage a coup after Mr Mugabe’s assassination.
Mr Tsvangirai had said sources in the British Government would provide the money, according to Mr Ben-Menashe.
“He also asked us to enlist the United States Government to assist the MDC in carrying out his plot,” he said on Thursday.
If found guilty, Mr Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube and Renson Gasela could face the death penalty.
Mr Tsvangirai was the main challenger to Mr Mugabe during last March’s presidential elections.
Previous treason charges against Mr Tsvangirai were dropped when they were ruled unconstitutional.
The trial comes as the European Union is considering whether to renew sanctions on Zimbabwe’s leader, which are due to run out on 18 February
URL: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/837809…br>Source: BBC