Sunday Times journalists arrested

Two Sunday Times journalists were arrested after trying to interview drug trafficker Sheryl Cwele in prison...

21 Nov 2014

(Image: Jonund, via Wikimedia commons)

Taschica Pillay and Suthentira Govender were arrested after being detained by Correctional Services officials at Durban's Westville Prison on Saturday.

They were granted R500 police bail and appeared in court on Monday on charges of breaching Correctional Services regulations.

The prosecutor declined to enrol the matter.

Sunday Times editor Phylicia Oppelt slammed the Correctional Services Department, which this week accused the two of "disguised entry" by pretending to be Cwele's relatives.

Oppelt said: "Our journalists are guilty of none of these breaches. They did not disguise themselves or misrepresent their identities to prison authorities, and they identified themselves as Sunday Times journalists to Cwele."

She said the two presented their identity documents at the prison and requested to see Cwele, who declined to be interviewed.

"After a brief discussion, the journalists left the prison. They were then detained by prison officials for five hours, during which time they were denied access to a lawyer.

"It was only when they were taken to Westville police station that they were allowed to see their lawyer."

Source: The Times, via I-Net Bridge

Source: I-Net Bridge

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