Chaponda sues Times over maizegate stories

Feb 13, 2017 Politics 75
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Chaponda George

Minister of Agriculture George Chaponda has taken legal action against Blantyre Newspapers Limited and some of its employees over stories its newspapers published in connection to the maizegate scandal.

Chaponda is suing Times Group Editor In-Chief George Kasakula, The Daily Times Editor Innocent Chitosi, Sunday Times Editor Chachacha Munthali, Times Reporter Alick Ponje and The Daily Times Assistant Editor Madalitso Musa.

Blantyre Newspapers Limited which publishes Daily Times, Malawi Newspapers, and Sunday Times reported extensively on the maize procurement deal from Zambia.

But in his summons, Chaponda found fault in the Malawi News issue of 28th January to 3rd February 2017 claiming some of the defendants falsely and maliciously wrote and printed and published or caused to be written defamatory words of and concerning him.

Misa Malawi
Sued !

In the summons for the civil case, Chaponda also claims that The Sunday Times positioned his picture against the headline “Epitome of Decadence” on an opinion article which was calculated to portray him as a morally rotten person.

The summons claim that Chaponda’s “image and reputation as a public official and individual has been lowered and brought into public scandal, Odium and contempt.”

Chaponda is therefore seeking damages for libel, exemplary and aggravated damages for libel and legal costs. Meanwhile Times Group has vowed to meet Chaponda in court saying the media house stands by all its stories on the maize scandal.

“We have done nothing wrong. We firmly believe in telling Malawians how badly they are being governed and how badly their affairs on food are being managed by those they entrusted with power,” Times Group Editor-in-Chief Kasakula said.

On Saturday, a Commission of Inquiry on the maizegate scandal said it had found Chaponda’s conduct in Malawi’s procurement of maize from Zambia suspicious and called for further investigations on the minister.

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75 Comments

  16. Sue even trans globe for not telling you that it was invited to take maize from Zambia without your knowledge by fellow minister

  19. Please APM fire chaponda chifukwa unakamutenga wekha,mukumuchedwetsa.Tawonani akukula mtima chifukwa ali nkhwapa mwanu malinga ndi malamuro.

  21. You cheated malawians that the house was burning thats why you break laws in buying maize, those are just lies. Times group is an independent institution

  22. You cheated malawians that the house was burning thats why you break laws in buying maize, those are just lies. Times group is an independent institution

  29. Anduna zisumilenidi zitsiru zimenezo,kuteleku zimaganiza kuti ufulu wa atolankhani ndikuipitsa anthu ena vuto lautolankhani owulowera chifukwa chakusowa zochita ndilimenelo,chizungu mumatha koma nzeru mulibe,mixeeew.

  42. Iwe Chaponda palambu fwiti panji kuti kukhwimira uwonenge chalo kuwawa ichi cha nyasaland.Dont take Malawians for granted.Do you think Malawians still have that primitive thinking where everyone could obey shit of that era of Atsamunda? We gonna shit on you.

  46. Thanks for DE promote George chaponda because he has missuses the money

  48. Let him sue even to the end of the world … but the fact still remains that he will be investigated apa

    1. What is there to investigate when the whole world has evidence that he stole maize as well as 9.9 billion malawi kwacha? I thought the People’s court has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is a thief! Why investigate him instead of putting him behind bars.

    1. Ichi ndithu ndithu Chidzete chamunthu chotheratu!! Omwe amachibakira ichi ndithu ndizozelezeka, vimakadeti vopanda Manyazi!! Only Dogs can fight Media and win, believe me! Azikati Chani potidi chimafuna Kuba ichi?

    5. Zimakadeti zosaphunzira izo!! Popanda Media iweyo zinthu uziziwa bwanji? Tiona tiona chani Chibakha iwe kkkkkkkk Manyazi Mbava zakathithi za dpp! Bwanji kumva kuwawa?

    6. Ndi ufulu wake they have to prove what they said. Media isnt there to tarnish peoples images but inform the masses without putting one’s emotions. The problem with Mr. Kasakula is that he has a bone to chew with other people so its time to retaliate coz they also have to save their faces and prove their innocence. We want real issues as presented by Msosa Commission and now looking forward to the President and the ACB to act and not the Media playing the Whistle blower, Jury and Judge Nooo thats not the Media I know and in most cases responsible journalism uses Epistemic Modifiers to run away from being sued not reporting as though you are an eye witness.

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