(MISA/IFEX) – On 22 February 2002, members of the ruling United Democratic Front’s (UDF) Young Democrats and National Intelligence Bureau (NIB, an official intelligence body) agents broke into the privately-owned “The Chronicle” newspaper’s offices in Lilongwe, where they abducted reporter Mallick Mnela and fled with him in an unmarked Land Rover vehicle. Publisher and editor-in-chief […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 22 February 2002, members of the ruling United Democratic Front’s (UDF) Young Democrats and National Intelligence Bureau (NIB, an official intelligence body) agents broke into the privately-owned “The Chronicle” newspaper’s offices in Lilongwe, where they abducted reporter Mallick Mnela and fled with him in an unmarked Land Rover vehicle.
Publisher and editor-in-chief Robert Jamieson told MISA that he and his son Quinton gave chase in his car. “We managed to contact the paramilitary police, the Police Mobile Force, who helped us to force the Land Rover into a police station,” he said.
However, police officers looked on as the UDF party thugs assaulted Jamieson, his son (who also works at the newspaper) and Mnela. The youths accused the journalists of “writing ill” of President Muluzi and the UDF.
Another journalist, Joseph Ganthu, was also beaten. “Apparently, the story we wrote about ‘warring factions’ within the UDF central region committee may be the cause of this,” he said.
The story unearthed the deepening divisions between loyalists of the UDF’s central region governor, Uladi Mussa, and sacked former deputy minister Iqbal Omar. Young Democrats loyal to the two factions clashed a fortnight ago.
“This is uncalled for,” said Jamieson. “Is the UDF a sacred cow? We all write on problems in the MCP [Malawi Congress Party, an opposition party].”
Police spokesman George Chikowi said he had no information on the incident.
