Top editor, journo face arrest

JOHANNESBURG – The editor of the Sunday Times and one of its journalists will be arrested this week to face charges of illegally being in possession of the health minister’s medical records.

Editor Mondli Makhanya and deputy managing editor Jocelyn Maker will be hauled to Cape Town in connection with charges of theft and for contravention of Section 17 of the National Health Act – which states that its an offence to gain access to a person’s confidential records – reported the Sunday Times. Mkhanya and Maker are expected to appear before a magistrate by the end of the week.One of the country’s top policemen, director JJ Brand, is in charge of the case.Cape Town lawyer Steve Broekmann, who represents two clients who were questioned by Brand and a colleague for longer than three hours on Friday in connection with the case, confirmed that Makhanya and Maker would be hauled to court.According to the weekly, since the investigation into the missing records began, several sources had warned the paper that Makhanya and Maker’s cellphones were being tapped.Senior government officials and ANC leaders had also privately warned for several months that President Thabo Mbeki’s inner circle was unhappy about the paper’s critical reporting.This follows an article published on August 12 about minister Manto Tshabala-Msimang’s stay at the Cape Town Medi Clinic in 2005 where she sent staff to buy alcohol, threw drunken tantrums and washed down medication with wine and whisky.Makhanya said:” We are all equal before the law, whether we are senior politicians, police commissioners or journalists.We will not be expecting any executive intervention to have this probe quashed.”Nampa-SapaMkhanya and Maker are expected to appear before a magistrate by the end of the week.One of the country’s top policemen, director JJ Brand, is in charge of the case.Cape Town lawyer Steve Broekmann, who represents two clients who were questioned by Brand and a colleague for longer than three hours on Friday in connection with the case, confirmed that Makhanya and Maker would be hauled to court.According to the weekly, since the investigation into the missing records began, several sources had warned the paper that Makhanya and Maker’s cellphones were being tapped.Senior government officials and ANC leaders had also privately warned for several months that President Thabo Mbeki’s inner circle was unhappy about the paper’s critical reporting.This follows an article published on August 12 about minister Manto Tshabala-Msimang’s stay at the Cape Town Medi Clinic in 2005 where she sent staff to buy alcohol, threw drunken tantrums and washed down medication with wine and whisky.Makhanya said:” We are all equal before the law, whether we are senior politicians, police commissioners or journalists.We will not be expecting any executive intervention to have this probe quashed.”Nampa-Sapa