A GWERU-BASED journalist working for The Zimbabwean newspaper yesterday appeared in court facing a criminal defamation charge.
STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Brenna Matendere appeared before Gweru magistrate Sithembiso Ncube on allegations of criminally defaming two members of the police, whom he erroneously said had been convicted for demanding bribes.
The two cops, Jealous Munyati and Andrew Konje, based at Gweru Central Police Station, were facing charges of criminal abuse of office after being accused of demanding bribes from suspects.
The two were, however, acquitted of the charges in August last year, but Matendere mentioned them in one of his articles without stating that they were found not guilty of allegedly demanding bribes.
Matendere, through his lawyer Brian Dube, has denied the charge saying he had no intention of harming the reputation of the police officers.
He said his usually reliable sources at the court had told him in confidence that the two were convicted and he just mentioned them in passing in his article about another cop who had been found guilty of theft charges.
Dube said Munyati and Konje rejected a retraction of the error and went on to press criminal charges.
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Matendere is set to again appear in court tomorrow when the State is expected to present its submissions.
