Tekere led raid — judge

Press, 16 August 1980, Page 8

Tekere led raid — judge

NZPA-Reuter Salisbury] The Zimbabwean Manpower Minister, Edgar Tekere, in his old guerrilla uniform led the attack on a.farm near Salisbury in which an elderly white man was killed, and resulted in a murder charge against Mr Tekere, an official Court judgment said yesterday. The judgment was from Mr Justice Smith of the Zimbabwe High Court, who was giving his reasons for having refused bail to Mr Tekere, in a closed hearing last week after his arrest. , Mr Tekere was arrested in

Salisbury two days after a! group of armed black men! attacked the Stamford Farm,| west of the city, leaving Gerald William Adams, aged-68, dead with a bullet in his back. Six ofi Mr Tekere’s bodyguards also were arrested. Mr Justice Smith’s judgment said it was likely Mr Tekere would' not “present

himself for trial.” The judgment said that the police had opposed bail because they believed Mr Tekere, who is popular with former guerrillas of Mr Robert Mugabe’s old insurgent army, might seek refuge somewhere in Zimbabwe where the police did not have access, or might flee the country. . . l. The Zimbabwe AttorneyGeneral (Mr' Christopher Glaum), was quoted, in the judgment as saying that Mr Tekere might interfere in police investigations /if - freed pending trial. ! .

:■ Mr Glaum said Mr Tekere !had already interfered by reI fusing to produce, a pistol that Ihe allegedly took' from Mr Adams. . . . Court sources said that Mr Tekere’s lawyers planned to apply again for bail because they had . new evidence.. It was not immediately known I when a new: hearing might.be I held.