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Prison no holiday for journos
11/01/2004 16:53 - (SA)
Harare - The editor of Zimbabwe's leading independent weekly newspaper and two of his journalists remained in jail a second day on Sunday after their arrest on allegations of insulting President Robert Mugabe, their lawyer said.
The three, arrested on Saturday, were accused of criminal defamation against Mugabe after publishing a report that he commandeered one of the national airline's wide-bodied jets to go on vacation in Asia with his family and a small party of aides, said lawyer Linda Cook.
Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said he was not aware of charges the journalists faced. "We have them and we are still talking," he said.
Cook said Iden Wetherell, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, news editor Vincent Kahiya and reporter Dumisani Muleya were expected to appear in court on Monday.
State radio said police were looking for Itai Dzamera, a fourth journalist involved in the publication of the Mugabe vacation report.
Cook said family and friends were allowed to take food to Wetherell, Kahiya and Muleya late on Saturday, but they were not allowed to bring food on Sunday.
Headlined "Mugabe grabs plane for Far East holiday," the Independent's report on Friday said many passengers booked on the Boeing 767's scheduled flights to London were stranded in Harare while alternative flight arrangements were made. Report 'blasphemous'
Zimbabwe Information Minister Jonathan Moyo on Saturday described the Independent's report as "blasphemous" and said those responsible for it faced up to two years' imprisonment for allegedly defaming Mugabe.
Moyo, who is also acting transport minister, denied Mugabe personally phoned the debt-ridden Air Zimbabwe to demand the plane, as implied in the report, but did not deny the airplane was diverted to Malaysia and Indonesia for more than five days.
Moyo said "this was not the first time the paper has written lies that are blasphemous and disrespectful of the president."
Last month, the paper reported Mugabe took an airliner for nine days for a UN meeting in Geneva and a visit to Egypt, forcing the national airline to charter another jet for more than $1m.
Mugabe, 79, has taken several vacations in Southeast Asia with his young wife and children since he and other ruling party leaders were barred from visiting Europe and the United States under visa restrictions imposed after disputed presidential elections in 2002.
Independent election observers said the polls, narrowly won by Mugabe, were swayed by political violence, corruption and vote rigging.
- AP
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