BBC presenter Petroc Trelawny today faced the prospect of 10 years in a Zimbabwe prison after being accused of lying on his visa application.
The Radio 3 host was hit with the new charge hours after a judge dismissed accusations that he had been working without a permit and ordered the return of his passport.
Munyaradzi Ngarayapenga, his lawyer, said Mr Trelawny, from Primrose Hill, was due to appear in court today to face the fresh allegation.
“He is being charged with making a false declaration when he came into the country,” he said. “The maximum sentence if found guilty is 10 years.”
Mr Trelawny, 41, was staying with a friend in Bulawayo. He was able to communicate with the outside world for the first time since his arrest at a charity childrens’ music festival in the city last Thursday.
In a flurry of messages on Twitter he said he was looking forward to clean sheets and his first shower in six days, adding: “In good spirits. Sadly not all over, but hope to be home soon.
“Thanks for so much amazing support from home. Perhaps a small glass of wine tonight.”
Pressure for his release is growing in both London and Harare as the legal tangle enters what sources describe as a “worrying new phase”. Foreign Office officials have been assured Mr Trelawny will be detained for “no longer than is necessary” but the immigration department has been known to hold suspects on remand for years.
Despite entering the country to volunteer for the music charity unpaid, his BBC role could make him a target in the rivalry between factions of the country’s coalition government.
