- Charges & Court Response
- Tamia Ja (real name Hannah Jabes) is being charged in Lilongwe with posting content on the Internet that allegedly harmed the reputation of people from Salima, by revealing private health information. She’s also accused of causing emotional harm in other online content.
- The prosecution struggled to present the formal charge sheet to the defense. In January, the court gave the government five days to clarify what exactly Tamia is being charged with .
- Magistrate Pushback
- On June 12, Lilongwe’s Senior Resident Magistrate Shukurani Kumbani refused the defense’s request to throw out the case, noting that dismissing the charges now would go against justice .
- Judge Kumbani also criticized the prosecution for not providing the charge documents, urging that everything be formally submitted—and officially served—to the defense .
- Next Steps
- Tamia’s lawyer, Stain Chirwa, requested that she not enter her plea (guilty or not) until the prosecution formally hands over the charges.
- The state pushed back, saying even if the details evolved, there’s been no material change to the core accusations.
- Magistrate Kumbani ruled that Tamia will be officially notified of the charges today, and that she will have to enter her plea on June 26 .
🔁 Related Background
- Earlier in her career, Tamia Ja was arrested (2024) over allegations of refusing to return MK 8 million that was accidentally sent to her account by a businessman .
- In September 2024, she also faced backlash—and potential legal action—for posting someone’s HIV status on Facebook without their consent, triggering concerns under Malawi’s HIV & AIDS Act .
