Police wrongfully arrest Joy Radio journalist, detain him for hours

Malawi police at Kawale in the capital Lilongwe on Friday morning harassed and wrongfully arrested Joy Media Group journalist Enock Balakasi, detaining him for two hours without any apparent reason.

Enoch Palichina Phiri, wanted to commit suicide over her girlfriend in the picture
Enoch Balakasi, Joy Radio journalist, was harassed and wrongfully arrested by Kawale police

All this, Nyasa Times has learnt, came about due to a commotion instigated by one Enoch Palichesi Phiri in Kawale township, where Balakasi resides.

Phiri, who is also a media practitioner, wanted to commit suicide by hanging himself after her girlfriend reportedly disappointed him.

Scores of residents including Balakasi thronged Phiri’s house in Kawale in order to persuade Phiri not to commit suicide.

But Phiri armed himself with a panga knife, turned violent, chased away people and threatened to hack anyone who came near him.

Kawale police were then called in but they too failed to tame and arrest Phiri.

Now, to cover up their incompetence, the police officers started harassing innocent spectators including Balakasi for taking pictures.

“Why are you taking pictures? They asked me. But when I told them I am a journalist and that Phiri is my friend, they still  dragged me to the police station. They confiscated my phones and searched through, deleting some pictures,” Balakasi told Nyasa Times.

He added: “At the station, they wanted to lock me up in a police cell  till Tuesday. They said I would be charged with conduct likely to cause breach of peace and that I was working as journalist without permission. I protested, telling them I had done nothing wrong”.

Meanwhile, the police released Balakasi unconditionally.

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22 Comments
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Ngombwax
Ngombwax
3 years ago

This suicidal kid should be prosecuted and, if found guilty of attempting to take his own life, he should be quickly sentenced to death. Just kidding!

Mbolo yasanza.
3 years ago

Apangile chisamani.

Gemba
Gemba
3 years ago

Taking photos was not wrong. We see BBC showing photos of people crying in funerals. Do they ask for permission? Sometimes they warn you that the pictures are graphic before showing. Not before capturing

Mbujengwe
Mbujengwe
3 years ago

Thats the MCP police for you. We are now in a police state. Zofuna.

Lachi40
Lachi40
3 years ago

Aaaaaaa imeyi ikhale nkhani. The headline is misleading. I thought there was a certaon function. shupit reporting

BigMan
BigMan
3 years ago

That’s the Malawi Police for you, incompetent and totally lawless.

Namagetsi
Namagetsi
3 years ago

Iwe The Truth. If you do not know a about journalism please just shut a fuck up.

Kuduhunter
Kuduhunter
3 years ago

You wanted a story to report well you have one now you are the main character in your own story

Mzakwacha Nixon's
Mzakwacha Nixon's
3 years ago

I don’t see any wrong from a journalist.Where could he have taken the permit…?
We want fresh news,there4,the Journalist wasn’t wrong.
Police,we have the right of getting fresh issues…imagine,ZbS,zikangochitika,numbers kwa idea…..as such,police must know that journalist got permits from Misa to cover anything worth….Malaei Police,when will you be modern police..?
Travel please see how your friends in uniform work in other countries,you are paid by us(tax payers)as such,you must protect us with divinity,we are the boards don’t arrest us unnecessarily….
Mtolankhani uyo,must take you to court,mwina munga kasegukeko mumaso.

Hello/Chain Sir !!
DURBAN
KwaZulu NaTaL.
+27724922299

[email protected]

Eboue
Eboue
3 years ago

Why take pictures of your friend in distress? Are you for real? Can you please stop playing the journalist card? You were there not as a journalist because a genuine journalist will never be taking photos of a distressed person trying to kill himself.

Jah
Jah
3 years ago
Reply to  Eboue

We see pictures on BBC u mean amatenga permit???

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