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Six more pirate radio station directors in court
The Herald (Zimbabwe)
January 25, 2006

Six more directors of the pirate radio station, Voice of the People, appeared in court yesterday on charges of operating the station without a licence from the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe.

David Masunda, Arnold Tsumba, Lawrence Chibwe, Nhlanhla Ngwenya, Millie Phiri and Isabella Matambanadzo were not asked to plead to charges of contravening the Broadcasting Services Act when they were brought before Harare magistrate Mr Rodney Mzyece.

Mr Mzyece remanded the six out of custody on bail $4million each.

Masunda, Tsunga, Chibwe, Ngwenya and Phiri were ordered to report once a week at the Criminal Investigations Department, Law and Order Section and will appear again in court on February 10.

Matambanadzo who is now based in South Africa, was ordered to deposit her bail with the clerk of court and will only be required to return to Zimbabwe when the State has set a date for the trail.

During their application, their lawyer, Ms Beatrice Mtetwa of Kantor and Immerman, said police officers who arrested Tsunga had broken a picture frame at his house and arrested two other people they found at the house on Saturday.

She said the two were only released yesterday without any charge being preferred against them.

Ms Mtetwa also gave notice to the State of her intention to challenge the six directors’ placement on remand.

She said the basis of the application was that the facts on the State papers did not disclose any offence under the Broadcasting Services Act.

The arrest of the six brings to seven the number of VOP directors charged for the same offence after another director, John Masuku appeared in court and is out on $4 million bail. For the State, Mr Lucky Mauwa said between June 2000 and December last year, the directors operated their radio station without a licence in contravention of the Broadcasting Services Act.

The offence came to light when police received information that VOP was operating without a licence and raided its premises in Harare and seized some broadcasting equipment.

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