Malawi journalists reporting "ghost story" released on bail
17/3/2005 11:27
Three journalists arrested by Malawi authorities on Tuesday morning over a
"ghosts at state house" story, were released on bail Wednesday evening.
The
three include BBC correspondent in Malawi Raphael Tenthani, Mabvuto Banda of
Nation Publications Limited and Malawi Vice President Cassim Chilumpha's press
officer Horace Nyaka.
Police early Tuesday morning arrested the three over a
story in which Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika was said to have asked for
divine intervention to exorcise ghosts which have been haunting him at the New
State House in Lilongwe.
Speaking in a telephone interview from Lilongwe,
Tenthani said Nyaka was unconditionally released earlier in the day, but he and
Banda were released on police bail after being charged with " publishing false
information likely to cause alarm in public."
The police have since dropped
all charges against Nyaka. Tenthani and Banda, who also corresponds for Reuters,
were ordered to report to police in the commercial city of Blantyre on March
30.
The new state house was built by former Malawi president Bakili Muluzi,
but had been used as the seat of the parliament.
Mutharika moved into the new
state house late last year, forcing the parliament to look for another house and
causing concern over his commitment to cut government costs.
Xinhua
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