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Zimbabwe: Standard Editor Granted $10bn Bail
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
10 May 2008
Posted to the web 12 May 2008
Harare
Standard editor Davison Smiler Maruziva yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates' Courts facing allegations of publishing falsehoods and for being in contempt of the High Court.
Maruziva (55), who was arrested on Thursday, was yesterday released on $10 billion bail by magistrate Mrs Doris Shomwe. Mrs Shomwe ordered Maruziva to report every Monday to the Criminal Investigation Department's Law and Order section until the matter is finalised.
He was furthered ordered not to interfere with State witnesses and investigations. Advocate Mehta Deepak represented Maruziva while prosecutor Miss Memory Mukapa appeared for the State. Charges against Maruziva arose on April 20 this year when he published an article by MDC leader Arthur Mutambara which the State alleges was false and undermined public confidence in the Zimbabwe Prison Services and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
The alleged most offensive part of the article read: "Our country is characterised by extreme illegitimacy where we have an abrasive caretaker President and an illegally constituted cabinet in cahoots with an imbecilic and cynical military junta, running the affairs of the country.
"There is heavy presence of the army and the police in our major cities to intimidate ordinary citizens. "Opposition supporters are being brutalised and killed in rural areas under an unprecedented terror campaign." On the count of contempt of court, Maruziva, being the editor, allowed another statement by Mutambara accusing Zanu-PF and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of being in a criminal collusion to fraudulently tamper with polls.
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"In terms of the House of Assembly, the agenda is to fraudulently seize at least nine seats from the opposition through recounts and court action leading to re-runs.
"This explains the 23 recounts that ZEC has instituted. There is clearly criminal collusion between ZEC and Zanu-PF.
"To add insult to injury, this unholy marriage is dutifully consummated by a compliant and pliable judiciary typified and exemplified by Judge Tendayi Uchena's unreasonable and thoughtless decision not to order ZEC to release the presidential results".
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