NRB workers demanding K140m compensation from Chiumia for arbitrary arrest
Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development Grace Chiumia has been sued by 14 National Registration Bureau (NRB) workers arrested for convening a meeting in Mzuzu last September, demanding damages for the arbitray arrest which she alleged to have ordered police to effect.
Chiumia, then Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, ordered police to arrest NRB officials on September 17 2017 as they convened at Shoprite where they were discussing “personal and work related issues”.
The NRB workers were released on police bail after 28 hours in the cell following pressure from fellow workers and the civil society.
They were charged with unlawful assembly but they never appeared before court.
In Civil Cause number 5 of 2018, filed at High Court Mzuzu Registry on January 9 2018, the workers demand K140 million as compensation for false imprisonment, defamation, assault, inconvenience and transport expenses.
In the documents filed at the High Court, the workers claim that they suffered defamation as Chiumia wrongly accused them of being irresponsible, that they are individuals who can cause havoc and bring confusion.
It reads: “The Claimants no longer enjoy association and social interaction with friends as before for they are labelled as confusionists. The Claimants’ reputations have been damaged as a result of the accusation and attendant arrest.
“The Claimants suffered assault through being physically dragged into a police van by police officers. The Claimants suffered inconveniences as a result of detention. The Claimants spent money while in Mzuzu and continue to spend money in their respective places of residence by way of transport expenses in order to honour police bail.”
Chiumia has been sued in her personal capacity but also as a minister.
She should be arrested so that can send a strong message to other ministers who think they are above the law. When we say these people are our employees and so must respect us they deliberately turn things upside down.