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Alert

CORRECTION: Retraction of MISA alert on alleged acquittal of ANZ journalists

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a MISA correction:

28 October 2005

Retraction of MISA-Zimbabwe Alert on Alleged Acquittal of ANZ Journalists

We hereby refer to the above alert which we sent out early this morning and hereby kindly request you to ignore the report as it is not entirely factual.

It has since been brought to our attention that NewZimbabwe.Com, the online publication that reported the alleged acquittal of the journalists, misquoted ANZ chief executive officer Samuel Sipepa Nkomo.

The journalists in question were expected to appear in court on 12 October 2005, but had not been served with the requisite summons at the material time.

It is against that backdrop that Nkomo made his comments to NewZimbabwe.Com, which publishes from London.

Nkomo told MISA-Zimbabwe that he had only speculated as to why the State had not brought the journalists in question to court on the expected date, saying this could have been precipitated by the acquittal of Kelvin Jakachira, who had been facing similar charges.

The ANZ chief executive said NewZimbabwe.Com had therefore taken his comments out of context.

The fate of the journalists in question is therefore still to be determined as the State is still to officially inform them as to whether it is still proceeding with the charges despite Jakachira's acquittal.

Jakachira was acquitted on 31 August 2005 while eight of his colleagues were expected to appear in court on 12 October 2005 on similar charges.

Please kindly accept our sincere apologies for any inconveniences arising from the erroneous Media Alert we put out.