MISA Malawi Condemns Seizure of MBC Journalists’ Devices Amid Fake Facebook Page Allegations

The Media Institute for Southern African (MISA) Malawi Chapter has expressed with dismay over the seizure of mobile phones and laptops belonging to Malawi Broadcasting Corporation -MBC journalists who are being suspected of running a fake MBC Facebook page.

In a statement released today MISA Chairperson Golden Matonga says the Media body has established that a number of MBC journalists are being investigated for alleged offenses committed under the Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act following a complaint by MBC Management.

MISA Malawi says it has spoken to MBC Management who claims that the police are the one’s conducting the investigation independently and the Management has not provided any names of journalists to be subjected to the investigation.

The Media body says it is concerned because the development raises a number of serious questions.

“Police have confiscated mobile phones and laptops from a number of MBC journalists across the country. The question is; how are these journalists being identified?

“What measures have been put in place to ensure that the identity of the sources of these journalists is protected? Correspondence between journalists and their sources is privileged information under Section 32(c) of the Access to Information (ATI) Act”, Reads the statement