JUSTICE IN ZIMBABWE 98 ____________________________________________________________________ Story about Presidential election results In April The Daily News published an article suggesting that President Mugabe had in fact lost the Presidential election and that the formally announced results were false. The editor was charged with contravening s 80(1)(b) of the Act. After being questioned by the police, he was released. He was told that the police would call him back if they gathered enough evidence to prosecute him for the alleged offence. Story about First Lady’s brother In April 2002 The Zimbabwe Independent published a story about an attempt by Grace Mugabe’s brother to take over a local company. The reporter who wrote the story and the editor of the paper were charged under the Act, but released after the police said that the State would proceed by way of summons if it wished to pursue the matter further. The paper’s editor was picked up by the police on 17 April 2002 and questioned in connection with the same story. He was charged under s 80(1)(b) the Act. The police said that the State would proceed by way of summons if it wished to pursue this matter against him. False story about political killing In April 2002 The Daily News published a story alleging that a woman had been beheaded in front of her daughters and that this killing was politically motivated and had been perpetrated by ZANU (PF) supporters. This story turned out to be completely false, although the newspaper believed it to be true when it published it. The two reporters who wrote the story and the editor of the paper have been charged under s 80(1)(b) the Access Act. They were released on bail. A columnist for the paper was later arrested because he had written an article in which he commented upon the beheading story. He was charged with the same offence but was released after police questioning. The police told him that the State would proceed by way of summons if it decided to pursue the matter against him.