By Perpetua Murungweni
Lucas Slavik, a citizen of the Czech Republic, broke down in tears in court after he was denied bail by Masvingo Magistrate Franklin Mukwananzi on August 6, 2024.
Slavik was arrested on August 1, 2024, on charges of spreading falsehoods after he was allegedly seen by police detail recording a video on his cellphone at a local lodge.
Through his lawyer Knowledge Mabvuure, Slavik applied for bail, which was denied by the court, saying he was a flight risk and was ordered to come back for trial on August 16, 2024.
Despite efforts by his defense to convince the court that his client was ready to surrender his passport and all his traveling documents, citing efforts by Czech Republic Embassy to secure bail for their citizen to ensure that he attends trial until its conclusion, the state, led by Prosecutor Tarisai Muvengi blocked the bail application arguing that the tourist was a flight risk.
“The state is opposing granting the accused bail because we fear that if he is granted bail he is going to abscond trial. The accused person is also a foreigner with no permanent interest in the country therefore he is likely going to run away,” said Muvengi in court.
Muvengi also argued that the Czech Republic was not present in the court to confirm the support they were going to give to their citizens and even if they were going to render that support, he said the state was afraid that the accused was going to interfere with the state’s outstanding witnesses.
“The state cannot grant the accused person bail because the Czech Republic is not present here in this court to confirm the support to their citizen, and if they are going to render that support the accused will be staying at Backpackers Lodge and we fear that the accused is going to interfere with our outstanding witnesses who are workers at Backpackers,” said Muvengi.
It is the state’s case that Slavik was arrested outside the Backpackers Lodge, where he was found recording a video claiming there was no water or electricity, and that he could not even shave.
Another Ugandan national Tom Ssekamwa was arrested alongside Slavik for possession of sex toys and appeared before Mukwananzi for bail, which was also denied under the same circumstances. He was also ordered to return to court on August 16, 2024 for trial.
Masvingo Police confirmed that they seized Slavik and Ssekamwa’s gadgets which include laptops, cameras, and cellphones, for further investigation.
