Malawi Police have released Investigative Journalist Gregory Gondwe who was arrested for publishing a story about a payment of taxpayer’s money to a businessperson.
Gondwe has been released after he spent hours in custody at Southern Region Police Headquarters but the law enforcers are still keeping his gadgets which they confiscated from the offices of Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ).
Gondwe’s colleague Golden Matonga has confirmed that the journalist has been released.
“Gregory is out with his family. Our lawyers are now working on an urgent application to return our equipment,” said Matonga.
Gondwe, who is managing director of PIJ was picked up at his office this morning.
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said the police wanted to “interview” him over the story published by PIJ but Matonga revealed that Police told Gondwe that he was under arrest.
In the story which PIJ published last week, there was a leaked document containing the legal opinion of Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda.
Nyirenda in the letter told Anti-Corruption Bureau to allow Malawi Police to make a payment of over K1 billion to an Asian businessperson who is accused of corruption and whose contracts with government were earlier cancelled by Nyirenda.
Nyirenda over the weekend threatened to take legal action against those responsible for the leakage of the document.
