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VOP application turned down
MISA-Zimbabwe
March 03, 2006

The application for refusal of remand by Radio Voice of the People board members David Masunda, Nhlanhla Ngwenya, Lawrence Chibwe, Millie Phiri, Arnold Tsunga, Bella Matambanadzo and Director John Masuku has been turned down by a Harare magistrate.

The bail conditions for director, John Masuku, have however been relaxed and he will no longer be reporting to the police every Friday.

The seven who are represented by Harare lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, on 28 February 2006 had filed an urgent application for refusal of remand arguing that the facts placed before the court did not constitute an offence.

The directors are accused of contravening section 7(1) of the Broadcasting Services Act which prohibits broadcasting without a licence.

Allegations against them are that the accused established an office at Beverly Court in Harare which they equipped with computers and produced programmes. The news programmes are allegedly then dispatched to a transmitter in the Netherlands from where they are relayed to Madagascar. The state alleges that the station in Madagascar then beams the programmes into Zimbabwe via short wave.

The board members and directors have been further remanded to 27 April 2006 for their routine remand hearing where a trial date is expected to be set.

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