FDH Bank, Mpinganjira stop CSO leaders: Lawyer for Mtambo, Trapence to challenge court order

Chief executive officer of FDH Financial Holding Group Thomson Mpinganjira and the FDH Bank have obtained an injunction from the High Court restraining human rights activist Timothy Mtambo and Gift Trapence from making careless remarks  against the bank liking it to politics or alleged electoral fraud.

The order is restarting the two leaders of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) from making malicious and defamatory that the claimants financed the rigging operations by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

In his sworn affidavit, Mpinganjira  through his lawyer Chancy Gondwe, explained that the defendants held nationwide demonstrations on 4^th and 5^th July 2019 which ended up with a vigil and that they even stoned FDH Bank, a bank to which he is a member.

According to the court, the order remains in force until an inter-parties hearing of the matter within seven days.

HRDC lawyer Wesley Mwafulirwa said they would challenge the order  in the next 48 hours.

The lawyer said his clients were only exercising their right on a matter of public interest.

“Every Malawian, including HRDC members, have the right to question anything, especially election matters which are of national interest,” said Mwafulirwa.

The lawyer added: “Financial institutions are not sacred and neither are they above the law.”

The FDH boss said since media reports regarding a bank account styled Chief Elections Officer; some members affiliated to HRDC have mounted a campaign against FDH Bank Ltd dubbed “FDH Bank must fall” and urging customers of the bank to close their accounts.

He said the demonstrators under the banner of HRDC, despite a plea in writing to the defendants by lawyers the bank appointed, Mbendera and Nkhono Associates, went on to stone and broke glasses of FDH, Umoyo House in Blantyre.

The claimants fear their reputation is being damaged irreparably to the extent that only damages may not restore good name and character.

The HRDC has been organising demonstrations against Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah, demanding that she resigns for accusations that she helped to rig the May 21 presidential race in favour of DPP’s presidential candidate Peter Mutharika, who was declared winner.

The demonstrations, in most parts of the nation, turned violent, to the extent that some State property and private property belonging to members of the DPP have been torched.