(MISA/IFEX) – In a 13 May 2004 letter, former public official Paul Chimenya threatened to sue journalist McDonald Chapalapata, of “The Nation” newspaper, and the Malawi Institute of Journalism radio station (MIJ 90.3FM) for defamation. Chimenya, who formerly worked for the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), wrote to Chapalapata and MIJ FM Radio claiming unspecified […]
(MISA/IFEX) – In a 13 May 2004 letter, former public official Paul Chimenya threatened to sue journalist McDonald Chapalapata, of “The Nation” newspaper, and the Malawi Institute of Journalism radio station (MIJ 90.3FM) for defamation.
Chimenya, who formerly worked for the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), wrote to Chapalapata and MIJ FM Radio claiming unspecified damages for an interview Chapalapata granted the station. In the interview, Chapalapata said Chimenya had attacked him while the reporter was investigating an article for “The Nation”. The interview was aired on 3 May as part of the media’s World Press Freedom Day celebrations.
In the letter, Chimenya claimed that the interview tainted his image and threatened to institute legal proceedings if he did not receive payment within seven days. Chimenya did admit in the letter, however, that he had had a scuffle with the reporter during an investigative interview.
