HIGH COURT REFUSES TO GAG NEWSPAPERS IN CORRUPTION PROBE

The High Court in Blantyre has refused to grant an injunction to businessmen Zuneth Sattar and Ashok Nair to restrain Nation Publications Limited (NPL) and Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL) from publishing stories related to the ongoing corruption probe involving the two.

NPL and BNL (part of Times Group) are two main newspaper publishing companies in Malawi.

Sattar, Nair and others are alleged to have obtained contracts from the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Defence Force using their companies by bribing politically exposed persons.

In the thrown out application, Sattar and Nair wanted the court to stop NPL and BNL from publishing any story to do with or touching on the search and seizure that the Anti-Corruption Bureau executed on the two businesspersons.

They claimed the publication of the stories related to the said investigations and related court cases may potentially defame them to unestablished levels.

But, in the November 18, 2021 ruling, the Court says the Constitution places a premium on Freedom Of speech and Press Freedom.

-MISA Malawi-