moo
13th Jan 2004, 07:06
looks like bob is up to his old tricks
BBC
"Zimbabwe reporters freed on bail
Mugabe chartered an Air Zimbabwe plane while in the Far East
Three Zimbabwean journalists arrested at the weekend for insulting President Robert Mugabe, have been freed on bail by a Harare court.
The editor and two reporters from the Zimbabwe Independent were granted bail of $25 at the official rate, or $4 at the parallel rate.
The newspaper alleged that President Mugabe commandeered an Air Zimbabwe plane, leaving passengers stranded.
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo described the report as "blasphemous".
He admitted Mr Mugabe had flown in the plane, but did not demand its use.
As part of their bail conditions, the trio must stay in Zimbabwe until their trial is over, and they have to report to the police once every fortnight.
Editor Iden Wetherell, news editor Vincent Kahiya and reporter Dumisani Muleya were detained on Saturday, after the weekly newspaper had published a story headlined "Mugabe grabs plane for Far East holiday".
They are accused of criminally defaming Robert Mugabe.
A trial date has not been set, but the men were warned to appear again in court on 29 January.
Newspapers have come under increasing pressure from the government, and have faced tighter controls and tougher penalties since the controversial 2002 election.
Flights 'disrupted'
The Zimbabwe Independent story alleges that the president telephoned the national carrier, Air Zimbabwe, and demanded a plane be sent to Malaysia and Indonesia for five days.
As a result, the newspaper said, the Boeing 767's scheduled flights between Harare and London had to be cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
But Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said the report was a "deliberate falsehood calculated to bring the office of the president into disrepute".
President Mugabe had flown on scheduled flights via South Africa to Malaysia, from where he had chartered an Air Zimbabwe plane.
The airline issued a statement confirming that the president was using the plane, but said that it had not been scheduled to operate elsewhere, and its charter had therefore caused no disruption.
The journalists' lawyer said that the report was raising a matter of public interest.
"These are matters where public scrutiny is very important. That's the defence they are raising, that it is not criminal... to publish what is of public interest," said Linda Cook.
More than a dozen journalists have been arrested since a new media law came into effect after President Mugabe's re-election in March 2002.
However, the latest charges have been made under common law"
BBC
"Zimbabwe reporters freed on bail
Mugabe chartered an Air Zimbabwe plane while in the Far East
Three Zimbabwean journalists arrested at the weekend for insulting President Robert Mugabe, have been freed on bail by a Harare court.
The editor and two reporters from the Zimbabwe Independent were granted bail of $25 at the official rate, or $4 at the parallel rate.
The newspaper alleged that President Mugabe commandeered an Air Zimbabwe plane, leaving passengers stranded.
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo described the report as "blasphemous".
He admitted Mr Mugabe had flown in the plane, but did not demand its use.
As part of their bail conditions, the trio must stay in Zimbabwe until their trial is over, and they have to report to the police once every fortnight.
Editor Iden Wetherell, news editor Vincent Kahiya and reporter Dumisani Muleya were detained on Saturday, after the weekly newspaper had published a story headlined "Mugabe grabs plane for Far East holiday".
They are accused of criminally defaming Robert Mugabe.
A trial date has not been set, but the men were warned to appear again in court on 29 January.
Newspapers have come under increasing pressure from the government, and have faced tighter controls and tougher penalties since the controversial 2002 election.
Flights 'disrupted'
The Zimbabwe Independent story alleges that the president telephoned the national carrier, Air Zimbabwe, and demanded a plane be sent to Malaysia and Indonesia for five days.
As a result, the newspaper said, the Boeing 767's scheduled flights between Harare and London had to be cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
But Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said the report was a "deliberate falsehood calculated to bring the office of the president into disrepute".
President Mugabe had flown on scheduled flights via South Africa to Malaysia, from where he had chartered an Air Zimbabwe plane.
The airline issued a statement confirming that the president was using the plane, but said that it had not been scheduled to operate elsewhere, and its charter had therefore caused no disruption.
The journalists' lawyer said that the report was raising a matter of public interest.
"These are matters where public scrutiny is very important. That's the defence they are raising, that it is not criminal... to publish what is of public interest," said Linda Cook.
More than a dozen journalists have been arrested since a new media law came into effect after President Mugabe's re-election in March 2002.
However, the latest charges have been made under common law"