Malawi journalist arrested for exposing top cop’s alleged shady deal

Malawian journalist Vitus-Gregory Gondwe. (Twitter, @Kalipochi)

• A prime Malawian journalist received into hassle over a report on corruption linked to a police boss.
• The Southern African Editors’ Discussion board praised the journalist for safeguarding his sources and for taking an moral stance.
• Two journalists in Ethiopia have been launched after 4 months in jail for interviewing insurgent group members.

A veteran investigative journalist in Malawi was jailed this week for failing to disclose his sources, whereas authorities in Ethiopia launched two reporters after 4 months in detention.

Malawian journalist Vitus-Gregory Gondwe was arrested for refusing to reveal sources referring to a narrative printed on his Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ).

The story alleged that the nation’s Inspector-Common, George Kainja, paid K1.3 billion (round R23.1 million) for a contract belonging to businessman Zuneth Sattar, regardless of it being underneath a restriction order from the nation’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Kainia is the very best rating police officer in Malawi.

A report carried by information outlet Malawi24 claimed that Gondwe was arrested on the behest of President Lazarus Chakwera and Legal professional-Common Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda.

This was regardless of the nation’s Entry to Info Act providing safety to whistleblowers for “disclosure of knowledge which the individual obtained in confidence in the midst of that exercise if the disclosure is of public curiosity”.

Gondwe was later launched.

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In an announcement, the Southern African Editors’ Discussion board (SAEF) mentioned: “Gondwe was arrested for doing his job and for upholding media ethics, a sanctity a part of moral conduct – which isn’t to reveal one’s sources underneath any circumstances together with when subpoenaed by the courts.” 

“Journalism is just not a criminal offense,” SAEF mentioned, whereas additionally elevating concern over the federal government’s conduct in direction of the fourth property in one in every of southern Africa’s functioning democracies that had seen clean transferences of energy over time.

In the meantime, in Ethiopia, freelance journalists Amir Aman Kiyaro, whose video work featured within the Related Press, and Thomas Engida, a contract digicam operator, have been launched from detention after 4 months.

The Committee to Defend Journalists (CPJ) welcomed the event.

“It’s a nice aid that Ethiopian journalists Amir Aman Kiyaro and Thomas Engida are dwelling with their households, after 4 months of arbitrary detention throughout which they weren’t charged with any crime,” mentioned CPJ’s sub-Saharan Africa consultant, Muthoki Mumo.

The 2 had been arrested on 28 November final yr, however on Thursday final week, the nation’s Supreme Court docket rejected a police attraction to maintain them detained.

Authorities accused them of breaching Ethiopia’s state of emergency and anti-terrorism legal guidelines by interviewing members of an rebel group.

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