The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) yesterday sealed Times Group offices over a tax dispute suffocating some of the group’s operations for hours.
However, the High Court yesterday granted a stay order stopping MRA from sealing the offices. This means Times Group is free to operate as normal.
The closure affected the Television station and the radio operations while the print section had to work outside the office complex as MRA security insisted to shut down.
MRA officials who were accompanied by heavily armed police officers arrived at the Times Group complex at around 11 o’clock in the morning.
The tax authority also seized vehicles belonging to the company.
Times Group Editor-in-Chief, George Kasakula described the action as illegal as there is a standing injunction against the action by MRA.
“They sealed the offices over an old tax debt. However, there is an injunction stopping MRA from taking the action, unfortunately, they acted to the contrary and went ahead with their action,” Kasakula said.
“Before MRA descended on us, a court judge had earlier on indicated that an
injunction we obtained against MRA a week ago still stands and there was no need for another injunction. But now that MRA is here our lawyer is back to court for a fresh injunction,” he said.
Minister of Information and government spokesperson, Nicholas Dausi, defended the government saying the close was all about taxes and not media freedom.
“We are not stifling the media as others are saying. This is about being tax compliant,” he said.
In December last year, MRA also sealed Times Group but the company re-opened and resumed its operations within 24 hours.
The closures are believed to be politically motivated because Times Group is known for its fearless and fierce uncovering of wrongdoing in government.
Recently, Times Group won an award for investigative journalism after it bared the controversial disbursement of K4billion by the government to members of Parliament who voted against the Elections Reforms (Amendment) Bills.
Times Group is Malawi’s leading media institution which publishes three newspapers namely: The Daily Times, Malawi News and The Sunday Times.
It also owns Times Radio as well as Misa- Malawi Television Station of the Year, Times Television.
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