New York Times journalist evades jail
• Fined ZWL 200 000
Brian Rungano Temba
New York Times contributor and freelance journalist Jeffery Moyo was yesterday convicted of smuggling foreign journalists to work in Zimbabwe without approval.
Moyo was sentenced to 24 months in prison which was suspended on the basis that he does not commit a similar crime in the next five years.
He was slapped with a ZWL$200 000 fine.
Moyo was arrested in May last year on charges fraudulently obtaining press cards for two journalists from the New York Times and smuggling them into the country after Immigration had denied them entry.
The trial has been running since then and was concluded yesterday.
Moyo was represented by Opposition Lawyer Doug Coltart of Mtetwa and Nyambirai Legal attorneys.
The case gathered attention of hostile media groups and CSOs who have been using the case to drag the Second Republic on its commitment towards upholding media freedom.
New York Times has been blurting relentlessly over media freedom, neglecting that their journalists entered the country through illegal and unorthodox ways.
Up until today the true purpose New York Times journalists Christina Goldbaum and João Silva, were trying to enter Zimbabwe are not clear and remain veiled behind being on ‘journalist assignments’.
Experts argue that the journalism claim could have been a cover for more sinister assignments of a regime change nature.
It is not uncommon for journalists to be used as spies.
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