Journalist Mahwayo change plea to ‘not guilty’, granted bail

Montfort Media journalist Ernest Mahwayo who was arrested on Monday afternoon allegedly for taking pictures of the  President's private home at Ndata Farm in Thyolo changed his plea of guilty to enter a plea of 'not guilty' on Wednesday.

When he was brought before the Limbe Magistrate's Court Tuesday afternoon, Mahwayo pleaded guilty to the charge of conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

But on Wednesday, Mahwayo changed his plea to not guilty through lawyer Lusungu Gondwe of Ralph & Arnolds.

"I plead not guilty," he told the court.

The lawyer then applied for the journalist's bail but state objected through regional prosecution officer Davie Mtete saying “granting bail will send a public shock. There will be a public outcry saying why should somebody who was taking pictures of a private house of Head of State be granted bail.”

Mahwayo: On bail, plead not guilty

However, making a bail ruling in the afternoon, First grade Mag Annie Chikhadzula granted the journalist bail on condition that he pays K4 000 bail bond cash, provide one surety of K15 000 non cash, surrender travel doc and report to Limbe Police Tuesday every two weeks.

Police accuse Mahwayo of taking pictures of the multi-million Kwacha majestic Ndata mansion of Mutharika and his late wife's [Ethel] mausoleum and that he did not get any permission to take pictures.

Ndata has been a centre of attraction since its first picture was posted on Nyasa Times.

One of the 20 demands in the petition the civil society organisations presented to the President after July 20 anti-government demonstrations was for him to explain his wealth, including how he built his Ndata Palace.

Ndata's private palace is  estimated to have cost several million dollars, 58 rooms with adjoining bathrooms and spas, four floors, complete with escalators, a nuclear bunker and, next to the house, a dam thought to be worth a few more million, according to Nyasa Times sources.

Observers say the palace is an affront to the suffering people of Malawi.

Nyasa Times 14 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/journalist-mahwayo-change-plea-to-%e2%80%98not-guilty%e2%80%99-granted-bail/
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