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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority’s public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo yesterday distanced herself from the case where Sunday Mail editor Mabasa Sasa, investigations editor Brian Chitemba and reporter Tinashe Farawo are accused of publishing falsehoods.
Testifying as the last State witness, Ms Washaya-Moyo said she did not know whether the story was false or not, neither did she pass any comment.
“On October 30 around 5pm, I received a text message from Farawo seeking my comment on cyanide poisoning in Hwange National Park,” she said.
“I was in Victoria Falls attending a climate change conference and I texted back telling him to contact Tawanda Gotosa.
“The following day when I was in Gweru on my way back, I received a phone call from a Senior Assistant Commissioner asking if I was the one who commented on the story on cyanide poisoning. I got to know of the story on mobile news alerts.”
Asked by defence lawyer Advocate Fadzayi Mahere if she knew who was behind cyanide poisoning, Ms Washaya-Moyo said she did not.
“When you saw the article on mobile news alerts did you have any basis to call it false?” asked Adv Mahere.
“I don’t remember ever passing comments on the story,” replied Ms Washaya-Moyo. “So you cannot say it’s false or no?” asked Adv Mahere.
Adv Mahere gave notice of her application for discharge at the close of the State case and will file her submissions on June 30. The prosecutor Ms Francesca Mukumbiri will respond on July 1 and Adv Mahere is expected to submit her replication on points of law on July 5.
The magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe will make a ruling on July 7.
The trio is accused of communicating or publishing false statements after alleging that a top cop was fingered in poaching.
Sasa, Chitemba and Farawo were arrested following the publication of an article on November 1, 2015, which implicated some police officers, rangers from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe and Asian nationals in poaching activities in Hwange.
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