AmaBhungane gag order set aside

03 July 2023 - 17:16
By TIMESLIVE
The Moti Group had controversially obtained a gagging order against investigative journalists amaBhungane who were ordered to return confidentially sourced documents.
Image: 123RF/EVGENYI LASTOCHKIN The Moti Group had controversially obtained a gagging order against investigative journalists amaBhungane who were ordered to return confidentially sourced documents.

The amaBhungane investigative unit on Monday gained victory in their case against the Moti Group.

The high court in Johannesburg ruled in favour of amaBhungane, setting aside an order to hand over what the Moti group had said were stolen” documents and stop them from reporting on these documents,

Last month, a revised order was made after an agreement was reached, setting aside the order to hand over the documents but requiring the document trove, with the seemingly damning information, to be preserved until the matter is heard and finalised in the Johannesburg high court,

The documents had reportedly been leaked by a whistle-blower.

The Moti Group was ordered to pay costs for four of the respondents.

The Moti Group had maintained that the legal dispute between themselves and amaBhungane is not about “gagging” media but about preventing journalists from reporting on stolen information. 

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