Fredokiss, two others win K50m over wrongful arrest

Musician turned legislator Fred Penjani Kalua, popularly known as Fredokiss, and his two colleagues have become overnight millionaires after a Mzuzu court ruled in their favour in a six-year-old legal battle.

Senior Resident Magistrate Christopher Makumba on Friday ordered the Malawi Police Service to pay the trio K50 million in damages for wrongful detention, defamation and malicious prosecution.

The ruling stems from the trio’s arrest in Mlowe, Rumphi, on June 23, 2020. Kalua, his manager David Kausiwa and security guard Steven Mkandawire, popularly known as “Ng’ona”, were initially detained by Malawi Defence Force soldiers before being handed over to police.

Police accused them of plotting to rig votes in favour of former Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Peter Mutharika and charged them with using fraudulent means to induce voters, contrary to the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Act.

The three pleaded not guilty and maintained their innocence throughout the case. The prosecution later failed to produce sufficient evidence to sustain the charges, leading to their acquittal and laying the foundation for the civil claim.

Their lawyer, Leonard Mbulo, said the court agreed that the arrests had severely damaged the trio’s reputation.

Kalua told the court the allegations cost him fans and dented his music career, as some people viewed him as lacking integrity.

In his ruling, Magistrate Makumba found that the authorities’ actions had lowered the trio’s standing in society. He awarded Kalua K22 million, while Kausiwa and Mkandawire were each awarded K14 million.