Nyasa Times files to court to challenge Malawi President’s defamation lawsuit

The Nyasa Times media group has filed at the High Court an acknowledgement of service of writ of summons filed by President Peter Mutharika on defamation and the online publication is proceeding with the defence.

Makhwawa:  Lawyer defending Nyasa Times
Makhwawa: Lawyer defending Nyasa Times

Mutharika sued Nyasa Times alongside former presidential aide Allan Ntata over Ntata’s article which was posted on various media networks including social-media platform Facebook, and on Nyasa Times on June 22 this year, alleging the President is implicated in the K92 billion Cashgate.

Nyasa Times CEO Edgar Chibaka and Editorial Director Thom Chiumia have confirmed that the online publication has hired “ an army of lawyers in Malawi and here in the UK” working on the case.

Private practice lawyer John Gift Makhwawa, a former president of Malawi Law Society, is a lead attorney for Nyasa Times.

Makhwawa confirmed filing an acknowledgement at High Court to defend the matter.

In a lawsuit filed at the High Court in Blantyre, the President through his lawyer James Masumbu, wants a court order to restrain Ntata and Nyasa Times from further publishing the issue of K92 billion Cashgate linked to the Bingu administration.

Nyasa Times intends to mount “a vigorous defence” and believe the matter will help the battle to fight wrongful self-enrichment in Malawi.

The President, according to the court record, said Ntata wrote on his Facebook page that a Mrs Sadiq of HTD allegedly defrauded government close to K20 billion on bogus purchases of motor vehicles and that President Mutharika is closely linked to and associated with HTD and the bogus payments could be linked to him.

Ntata was legal adviser to the President’s elder brother, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, who ruled the country from 2004 until his death in April 2012. He has hired lawyer Gustav Kaliwo to defend him

Germany provided K9.76 billion for the audit exercise  into the K92 billion which was prompted by a 2011 interim investigative audit report of government’s payment system—the Integrated Financial Management and Information System (Ifmis)—which revealed that ministries and departments may have lost about K577 billion through abuse and irregularities between 2009 and 2012.

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Mbowe Mulambia
8 years ago

Ntata and Nyasatime can not shoot their own foot these are the guys who have full information of cashgate wina ayaluka akapanda kuwasamala Ntata knows the truth time has come for the Malawian know the truth

Jazila chigwenembe ~balaka

There mutharikas are hopeless.the late mutharika took section 65 matter to the court himself which later hanged him.today it is them again.

ndale paMalawi
ndale paMalawi
8 years ago

I can see no Joice Banda name mentioned in the article and am wondering someone mentioned her in his comment…leave her alone nayeso ali ndizake zoti adzayankhe nthawiyo ikafika but for now lets concentrate on specific matters

Kumbukani
Kumbukani
8 years ago

Very poor Malawians spend their little money on internet that is also taxed to defend their corrupt very rich leaders! They can see with their naked eyes a person exeggerating his assets declaration to Mk 150,000,000 but after 8 years of lavish spending, no known profitable business and etc etc, the person is wealthy over Mk 61,000,000,000.00 and some of the tax payers, most of whom are the core poor (akapuntha buye) defend such ruthless thieves. My heart bleeds severely

food for thought
food for thought
8 years ago

This is a welcomed development if these guys at Nyasatimes along with Mr Ntata have the evidence to back up their claims. Otherwise they will have an uphill battle. Corruption in this country needs to be tackled, however going by a lot of the stories i read on Nyasa and the lack of concrete evidence within the stories, I fear that Nyasatimes and Mr Z. Allan Ntata might just be shooting themselves in the foot with this one. All the same good luck gents.

Zoona zenizeni
Zoona zenizeni
8 years ago

Expose him please.We want to know the truth how his minibus driver brother became an overnight billionaire in a poor country like Malawi together with him.Why did Pitala not become a billionaire in the US after labouring for many years?Akaluza all their properties should be confiscated as what is happening to other cashgaters.We want a clean Malawi so that everybody should benefit from the system.

Jasitasi Chilungamo
Jasitasi Chilungamo
8 years ago

And when Mutharika loses the case,he should be shown an exit door to pave way for the further investigation.Why was he not rich in the diaspora after labouring all the years in some sleepy st Louis?He should be taken to task until he resign.His minibus driver brother became an overnight billionaire when he took the mantle from the six pounds thief Muluzi.Malawi is the worst country to live in the world full of arrogant thieving politicians.He forgot that he got that positions through crooked means aided by his crying friend Mbendera and airtel money friend Chilima.Pitala should stop being time… Read more »

yes
yes
8 years ago

Please create an account for those willing to support this case financially where they can deposit the money. That is if you have financial problems. Im sure Malawians of goodwill will be willing to bankroll this case. We want facts and the truth to be known. No one should be spared. Malawi needs to move forward. Please have a strong legal team and do good investigation of the matter even with international and local banks. Engage FBI should there be need. The case will be good to APM too to clear himself and govern this country properly.

Mashamase
Mashamase
8 years ago

Ndalama zili ndi a DPP , apaneni & Joyce wabisala till 2020 mutachoka mboma inu mapwevupwevu

True Malawian Citizen
True Malawian Citizen
8 years ago

How manageable and sustainable is this case? How sure are we that justice will be real justice. Who will stop the president from judge shopping looking at the justice delivery system of Malawi? Think of establishing a UK -Malawi Cashgate Trust Fund to sustain the defense. We will all be happy to support that. Also fight for an Independent Court to help Malawi solve the corruption rot. Ntata, you are true Malawian who his country.

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