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To: IFEX Autolist (other news of interest)
From: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), [email protected]

Zambia Alert Update
June 26, 2003
Editor defies police summons

***The following is an update of a MISA alert issued on June 25, 2003. See
www.misa.org for more information***

"Today" newspaper editor, Masautso Phiri, has defied an order to present himself
for interviews at police headquarters in Lusaka.

Phiri told the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA), the Zambian Chapter
of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), that he had decided to "make
himself unavailable" to the police until they say why they wanted him to report
to them.

"They have been to my home lots of times. They were here last night as well,"
Phiri said.

Phiri's lawyer, Sakwiba Sikota, said he had written to the police asking them to
say why they wanted to see his client but to date they had not stated why they
wanted to see him. "They are tight lipped," he said. However, he had
"tentatively" agreed with them that he would present his client on Monday June
30, 2003.

Sikota believes that the police want to talk to Phiri about the recent stories
published in "Today" pertaining to the alleged sex scandal at State House and to
President Mwanawasa falling ill.

BACKGROUND

On June 24, 2003, police summoned Phiri to report to them for interviews at
14:00 hours, though the reasons for his summons were not specified. However, he
suspects that the move is linked to several publications he has made recently.

Two of the stories, published between June 3 and 24, 2003, are related to an
alleged sex scandal at State House, the President's official residence, and the
attempts to cover it up, while the latest one is related to President
Mwanawasa's alleged poor health.

In its edition of June 18-24, 2003, the "Today" newspaper, which was quoting
anonymous sources, reported that Mwanawasa was hurriedly flown to the United
Kingdom on June 15, 2003, ahead of an official visit to the United States, to
receive medical treatment because he had fallen "seriously ill".

Ends

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