Treason trial of Zimbabwe Opposition leader

The key state witness in the treason trial of Zimbabwe Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday accused Tsvangirai's party of stirring up trouble in his private life.

Tsvangirai and two senior colleagues could face death sentences if convicted of plotting to kill President Robert Mugabe. All three deny the charges.

Canadian political consultant Ari Ben-Menashe told the court that the Movement for Democratic Change was responsible for planting stories about his private life in Canadian newspapers. The case rests mainly on a tape of a meeting in Canada between Ben-Menashe and Tsvangirai, who allegedly discussed Mugabe's "elimination".

Ben-Menashe admits taping to gain incriminating evidence for Mugabe's Government but denies entrapping Tsvangirai.