The Lilongwe Magistrate Court on Wednesday granted bail to online journalist, Justice Mponda, who was arrested on Monday for allegedly insulting President Joyce Banda and Publishing False Information.
Report By Misa Malawi
Mponda corresponds for an online publication, Malawi Voice.
He was initially arrested on three counts: insulting President Joyce Banda, publishing false information and criminal libel.
However, he was only charged publishing false news likely to cause public fear. It is not clear why the State has dropped the other charges.
Commenting on the case, Mponda’s lawyer Chancy Gondwe of Chagwamnjira & Company described the release as victory for media freedom and freedom of expression in the country.
“We were surprised that my client had to be transferred from Blantyre to Lilongwe,” Gondwe said. “The State has competent advocates and prosecutors in Blantyre who would have handled the matter efficiently. Maybe government is employing new tactics in prosecuting people. But this may be a strategy to intimidate and instil fear in my client.”
The journalist was arrested in Malawi’s commercial capital, Blantyre, but was then transferred to the capital Lilongwe, 340km away, where he was held at Lingadzi Police Station, a sub-station of Lilongwe Police and not Police Headquarters as earlier reported. However, no visitors were allowed to see Mponda at this police station except with explicit clearance from Police Headquarters as a team from the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) discovered upon visiting the online journalist.
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This development is likely to open up debate, in Malawi, on the role of new media and the application of professional media ethics in the provision of online news services. Online publishing in Malawi is still relatively new but questions are arising regarding the conduct of several online media. The government of Malawi has introduced a Bill which, if it becomes law, will regulate online media as one of its key functions.
