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GALZ employee pleads not guilty as trial commences
Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)
August 02, 2010

Ellen Chademana, an employee of the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) on Monday 2 August, 2010 pleaded not guilty to charges of possessing prohibited material when her trial commenced before Harare Magistrate Don Ndirowei.

Chademana entered a not guilty plea after the charge had been put to her by State prosecutor Rufaro Mhandu.

Chademana is on trial on charges of possessing prohibited materials in contravention of Section 26 (1) (a) of the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act Chapter 10:04.

Prosecutor Mhandu tendered her first exhibit to the court, a file which she claimed contained some pornographic pictures and which was allegedly recovered from a shelf in the GALZ offices.

Mhandu led evidence from the State witness Detective Assistant Inspector Trust Gomo, who was part of the police team that raided the GALZ offices in May and allegedly recovered the pornographic material.

In their defence outline Chademana's lawyers Jeremiah Bamu and David Hofisi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) denied that their client was in possession of the alleged prohibited material as she was not in the office at the time of the police raid.

Chademana's trial will continue on Friday 6 August, 2010 where prosecutor Mhandu intends to lead evidence from another State witness.

Already, Ignatius Mhambi, a GALZ employee, who was arrested together with Chademana on almost similar charges of possessing prohibited or pornographic material was acquitted by Harare Magistrate Sandra Mupindu last month.

Visit the GALZ fact sheet

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