Stephen Rice and Matt Doran arrested in Zimbabwe on assignment for Sunday Night
Three years after he was jailed on assignment in Lebanon for 60 Minutes, TV news producer Stephen Rice has been questioned by police while working in Zimbabwe, after a doctor claimed Rice had kidnapped him. The newsman was later released.
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Television news producer Stephen Rice has been questioned by police while working in Zimbabwe, three years after he was held in jail over kidnapping allegations during an assignment in Lebanon.
Mr Rice and star Channel 7 reporter Matt Doran were escorted from their hotel in Harare by police on April 15 after a doctor claimed they had attempted to kidnap him. However, they were released without charge shortly after.
The newsmen were in South Africa for the Sunday Night program, covering the story of Gold Coast woman Abigail Prangs, who was adopted by a Queensland family after being “dumped” on the road in Harare when only a day old.
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Police were called after the pair apparently became involved in an altercation with DNA specialist Dr Tinashe Mugabe, who had volunteered to help Ms Prangs trace her parents.
Mr Rice is working for Sunday Night after being sacked by Nine’s 60 Minutes for his involvement in the botched attempt to grab Australian Sally Faulkner’s children from a Beirut street in April, 2016.
Earlier this month, he and Mr Doran flew to Harare with Ms Prangs, who has spent years trying to locate her birth parents, after a local DNA specialist believed he had found her mother.
The story, which is a hot topic in Zimbabwe, was reportedly offered to various TV networks by Ms Prangs’ brother Anthony Lee before being sold to Seven. However, the story faltered when a DNA test proved negative.
Dr Mugabe said last night: “I confirm that I did open a case against Stephen Rice and Matt at the Harare Central Police — attempted kidnapping.”
“I went to the Mieckles Hotel myself accompanied by police and they were arrested that very same night.”
A network spokeswoman said: “Channel Seven can confirm there was a dispute and police were involved. Matthew helped police with inquiries and the matter was dropped without any official charges being laid.”
Mr Rice has since returned to Australia after his visa expired while Mr Doran and his cameraman remain in Zimbabwe.
News of the incident was revealed by local journalist Chikanza Simba, who is said to be angry after helping Ms Prangs only to be cut out of the story in the Channel 7 deal.
Mr Simba said: “The DNA centre volunteered to assist Abigail Prangs with her DNA tracing in November. However, before the investigation had been concluded, Abigail obviously signed a contract for a documentary prematurely because the only test that had been conducted were half-sibling DNA tests.
“The director for Global DNA, Tinashe Mugabe, had been insisting on comprehensive DNA testing that would include the alleged parents before any conclusion had been arrived at. So somewhat presumptuously Stephen Rice flew to Harare with Abigail before getting all the facts.”
Mr Rice and Mr Doran were involved in a dispute with Dr Mugabe, seeming to accuse him of tampering with the results.
Dr Mugabe told The Sunday Telegraph: “They sent two Zimbabwe guys into the office and lied to me that there was someone in the car who couldn’t walk and needed DNA help ... So they asked me to help them while in the car. When I got close to the car the guy asked me to get in ... I greeted him then tried to pull me inside.”
Dr Mugabe earlier told Mr Simba: “There was a short white guy who was quite muscular. He shielded me so I couldn’t go anywhere. Then they began to film me and throwing accusations. They were saying, ‘What was the result, why did it come out negative?’ The alleged mother was not Abi’s mother. But that was not the result they wanted.”
Mr Rice moved to Sunday Night in 2017 after being arrested in Beirut with 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment over the Faulkner affair.
He spent two weeks in custody.
Originally published as Stephen Rice and Matt Doran arrested in Zimbabwe on assignment for Sunday Night
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