Charges against Nyarota dismissed

Charges against Daily News editor Geoff Nyarota and his business partner Wilf Mbanga were dismissed for lack of evidence.

The two were charged with contravening the Zimbabwe Investment Centre Act in the way they incorporated the Daily News.

The magistrate Weston Nyamwanza criticised the way the police had conducted the investigation saying they had gone onto arrest the two without reasonable suspicion.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 01HARARE3511, CASE AGAINST DAILY NEWS EDITOR DISMISSED

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLASSIFIED     PTO0041

PAGE 01       HARARE 03511 211843Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   NP-00   A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00 INL-00   DODE-00

DS-00   EUR-00   UTED-00 VC-00   TEDE-00 INR-00   L-00

VCE-00   NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00   DSCC-00 DRL-02

NFAT-00 SAS-00     /002W

——————419506 211844Z /38

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0343

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 003511

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/P, NSC

FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: CASE AGAINST DAILY NEWS EDITOR DISMISSED

¶1.   CHARGES AGAINST THE INDEPENDENT “DAILY NEWS” EDITOR-

IN-CHIEF GEOFF NYAROTA AND HIS FORMER BUSINESS PARTNER

WILF MBANGA WERE DISMISSED ON NOVEMBER 16 FOR LACK OF

EVIDENCE. THE RULING BY HARARE MAGISTRATE WESTON

NYAMWANZA INCLUDES LIFTING OF ALL BAIL CONDITIONS.

¶2.   NYAROTA AND MBANGA WERE ARRESTED ON NOVEMBER 8 ON

ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD OR CONTRAVENTION OF INVESTMENT

PROCEDURES. IN DISMISSING THE CASE, THE MAGISTRATE

CRITICIZED THE WAY THE POLICE CONDUCTED THE

INVESTIGATIONS IN THE MATTER, SAYING THE POLICE HAD

“GONE ON TO ARREST WITHOUT ANY REASONABLE SUSPICION.”

THE COURT RULED THAT IT WAS IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE

TO REMOVE ALL BAIL CONDITIONS FROM NYAROTA AND MBANGA.

MAGISTRATE NYAMWANZA DID SAY THAT THE STATE COULD SUMMON

THE TWO FOR TRIAL IF IT ASSEMBLED MORE EVIDENCE AND

DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH THE CASE.

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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