In what was described as politically-motivated and an “act of impunity”, by the Times Group Editor-in-Chief, George Kasakula, The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has today sealed Times Group offices in Blantyre over tax arrears the media group owes government.

Ceoafrica gathered that operations at Malawi's privately-owned media business, The Times Group, have been stopped after officials from the revenue authority, accompanied by police, stormed the offices in the city of Blantyre, seized its property and also closed the premises.

It was further gathered that all production work on radio and TV and its print edition, Malawi News, have been stopped and that Journalists have also not been able to access the building, due to the presence of heavily-armed police officers who stood guard at all entry and exit points, while others escorted tax collectors as they took records and seized vehicles.

Mr Kasakula who shed more light on the closure said that the tax authorities had not given the media business any notice:  “MRA has seized our offices over taxes and yet we have been paying taxes every month.

“It is impunity and lawlessness on the part of the government. Just imagine, they came with a notice yesterday and, instead of offering us a chance for negotiations as they do in such cases, as you know that sometimes their figures can be wrong and you negotiate, they came 12 hours later to seize our property.

He added that he suspected that the raid was linked to a scandal about a state agency, Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc), purchasing maize from Zambia at inflated prices and vowed to continue reporting the story:   “We are being punished for publishing the truth about the maize scam, but we will continue publishing and broadcasting the truth.

Our lawyers are working on this and we pray that we should be back to work. Be Rest assured that Malawi News will come out tomorrow.”