By Staff  Reporter

THE deputy chief magistrate Gibson  Mandaza was Friday told that Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator, Job Sikhala tried to flee upon arrest.

The State was challenging granting bail to Sikhala and his co-accused, Godfrey Sithole.

The Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Gift Mutamba said Sikhala was not assaulted by the police as he alleges but injured himself while trying to scale the security wall at his residence.

Sikhala’s lawyer Jeremiah Bamu said his clients will show that they did not post any videos on social media encouraging violence.

He added that the two will also show that they did not address any gathering or whatsapp groups using words or gestures likely to incite others to commit acts of violence.

The State opposed bail.

“Both accused persons are Members of Parliament as such they are influential people as it is now, the area is still tense and the police are on the ground,” said Mutamba.

“The accused managed to flee upon arrest, he slipped by the security fence and he was cut in the hand by a razor wire.

“The injuries are as a result of him trying to flee via the next yard, so he climbed the security fence and when he saw that they were some police officers behind his yard he tried to flee and he was cut by the razor wire.

“His guard went and told him that they were police officers who were by the gate. That is when he ran out of the house and tried to jump over the security fence but he fell down and cut his hands. He was ordered by police officers to report by the front gate and that is when we advised him of the offence he had committed.”

Sikhala alleged that he was injured by the police in his palms.

The State also opposed bail on grounds that the accused said Nyatsime area is now a terror zone which needed liberation.

Mutamba added that because of the duo’s actions, a lot of shops, beer halls and houses were destroyed between 7-10 km from the accused’s place of residence.