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		MEP criticises France over Mugabe travel ban Tuesday, 27 August 2002 East Midlands Conservative Euro-MP, Roger Helmer, has criticised France for allowing one of Mugabe's key Commissioners to visit France, in defiance of EU travel bans. The decision by France to let Zimbabwe's Police Commissioner, Augustine Chihuri, evade once again the EU travel ban, has sparked a wave of protest in the European Parliament. Roger Helmer MEP has described the EU travel ban as a farce and is supporting calls for immediate action to plug a critical loophole that has allowed banned individuals to travel to Europe. Conservative MEPs will be putting an emergency motion to the Parliament next week urging action to plug the loophole. Speaking from the European Parliament in Brussels, East Midlands Euro-MP Roger Helmer said: "The EU restrictions are so full of holes that they are hardly worth the paper they are written on. Robert Mugabe´s henchmen continue to enjoy the freedom to travel which makes a laughing stock of international action. "It is disgraceful that Mugabe's Commissioner is able to visit France – this makes a mockery of international law and of the EU's travel ban. The international community must find a more effective way of controlling the actions of Mugabe and his courtiers. "There should be a strict application of the ban as seven million are facing severe food shortages and starvation under Mugabe's misgovernment and corrupt 'land reforms'".