Zimbabwe’s High Court ordered the immediate release yesterday of an opposition MP who was arrested for the second time in a week after being accused of “inciting violence”.

Eric Matinenga was first detained last week after police burst into his house in Harare at dawn. A magistrate dismissed the charges, but he was held again on Saturday morning. At least six MPs from the Movement for Democratic Change have been arrested since the election on March 29. The decision came as it emerged that the son of Zimbabwe’s chief arms manufacturer had accompanied Robert Mugabe to Rome last week for the UN food summit.

Thabani Dube, the son of Colonel Tshinga Dube, the head of Zimbabwe Defence Industries, was part of the Zimbabwean delegation but did not make a single appearance at the conference, Corriere della Sera reported.

It noted that Mr Dube Jr had not stayed with the rest of the Zimbabwe delegation but in a more discreet hotel not far from Rome station. Sources in Zimbabwe claimed that Mr Dube worked in government intelligence.

It also emerged that Mr Mugabe paid a visit to St Peter’s Basilica while attending the summit, despite being refused an audience with the Pope.

George Charamba, his spokesman, confirmed that Mr Mugabe’s meals had been prepared by his own chef, wearing cotton gloves and a face mask. He agreed that Mr Mugabe had “many enemies”, but insisted that he had been “following his own diet” rather being wary of being poisoned.

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