Mulli gags Kajoloweka: Stop public comments on K8bn claim, court orders activist

The High Court has has ordered Youth and Society (YAS) executive director Charles Kajoloweka to stop commenting on  business magnate Leston Ted Mulli’s  K8 billion interests  calim from government, the matter which is before the court.

Mulli rushed to court to seek an order to stop Kajoloweka from commenting on the matter after he  issued a  statement questioning the businessman’s claim following the July 20 2011 protests which damaged Mulli’s companies—Sunrise Pharmaceuticals and Chombe Foods.

Following events of July 20, 2011, the two companies sued government for damages due to the destruction of their property during the demonstrations and were awarded damages amounting to K3.1 billion.

However, Mulli is now allegedly seeking to be paid an additional K8 billion in interests on the initial amount already paid.

Kajoloweka had demanded  that Malawians deserve full disclosure on how this case has been handled.

However, the court documents seen by Nyasa Times,  an injunction was granted to Mulli which restrains Kajoloweka and YAS  from commenting  “in whatever manner” in relation to the on going claims in High Court of Malawi Principal Registry civil cause number  747 of 2012, pending determination of the matter by the court.

The court warns Kajoloweka and his organisationoOn the consequences of their public utterances touching on the case which, they warned, undermined the court’s authority.

It further said failure to obey the order  will result in contempt of court which may lead to imprisonment.

The office of the Attorney General said it is challenging the K8 billion claim from Mulli.According to State advocate Neverson Chisiza, the State was challenging the claim as it had already settled about K3.1 billion in claims over the same case and that the case was old—having last been heard in court in 2013—and was finding it difficult to accept why it was being resuscitated.