Scribe’s arrest sparks furore
Media freedom defenders as well as the United Kingdom and United States governments on Tuesday condemned the arrest of journalist Gregory Gondwe in Blantyre over a story that exposed alleged corrupt dealings.
His arrest came barely days after Attorney General Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda warned in an interview with our sister newspaper, Weekend Nation, of April 2 2022 that he would take action against those who leaked his legal action to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with payments to entities owned by United Kingdom-based businessperson and corruption suspect Zuneth Sattar.
But Nyirenda on Tuesday feigned ignorance on the arrest of Gondwe, who is managing director of Platform for Investigative Journalists (PIJ).
And in an interview after his release from South-West Region Police Headquarters in Blantyre, Gondwe said he was detained at his office in Blantyre at around 11am and released at around 5pm.
He said police officers pressured him to disclose the sources of the information published by his firm and that he refused to do so.
“Revealing our sources is against media ethics and nowhere in the world can journalists do that,” said Gondwe.
He confirmed that police impounded his laptop and mobile phone and informed him that they will take the gadgets to National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe.
Gondwe said: “Based on the stories that we published, now government is demanding that I tell them my source. Where does that happen? This is war against Malawian journalism.
“In journalism, if you only reveal your source that will be the death of journalism and if government decides that this is the way it wants to treat the media, then it is very unfortunate.”
He wondered why government reacted in such a manner on a story involving Sattar, who is being investigated by UK authorities for alleged corruption.
A search warrant obtained from the Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe dated April 4 2022 shows that Gondwe is accused of spamming under the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act of 2016.
It reads: “Whereas it has been proved on oath to the court that the following articles [electronic gadgets, the cellphones, laptops and computers] being articles in the custody of the accused person mentioned herein, in respect of which the offence of spamming under the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act, 2016, has been committed or which is necessary to the investigation into such offence, it is in fact, or according to a reasonable suspicion.”
Reacting to the arrest, United Kingdom and United States governments on Tuesday expressed concern over the conduct of the police to raid the offices of PIJ.
In a statement issued after his release posted on Facebook and Twitter, the UK in Malawi said the UK and US were concerned that the police raided a media house, took Gondwe into custody and seized his equipment.
Reads the statement in part: “We note that he has now been released, but call for the immediate return of the confiscated equipment, and respect for privacy of any information contained therein. A free media is one of the pillars of democracy.”
Minister of Information and Digitisation Gospel Kazako said he will engage his counterpart at the Ministry of Homeland Security to find out what led to the detention of Gondwe.
He said: “It is not the personality and character of this administration to intimidate or create uncomfortable environment for journalists. We are a known beneficiary of free press.
“So, I have engaged my colleague the Honourable Minister of Homeland Security [Jean Sendeza] to ensure a common platform that will reflect the DNA of this government, which is respecting the set freedoms and laws governing provided spaces which different disciplines and citizens enjoy. “
Media Institute for Southern Africa Malawi Chapter chairperson Teresa Ndanga described the arrest as unfortunate, especially coming at a time when the Access To Information (ATI) Act is in place and protects journalists from disclosing their sources of information.
“It’s unfortunate that we seem to be going backwards instead of moving forward,” she said.
Several local civil society organisations, including Media Council of Malawi and Human Right Defenders Coalition (HRDC), have also expressed concern on the detention.
But in a statement issued later on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner of Police James Kadadzera said police only invited Gondwe for an interview on the ongoing investigations police are conducting.
