THIS SITE HAS BEEN CREATED TO HELP FUND LEGAL FEES FOR MARY WOODWORTH AND THE SIX FOMO EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN FALSELY ACCUSED. THEY ARE NOW RELEASED ON BAIL, BUT THEY STAND TRIAL AGAINST UNJUST CHARGES AND COULD FACE PRISON AGAIN! PLEASE HELP
ANY EXCESS WILL GO TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF THE PRISONERS AND IF ALLOWED HELP TO REVUE SOME OF THEIR CASES.
For more information contact Keith Woodworth at FOMO or read;
From Keith Woodworth - Background to the current situation.: After the Supreme court in Malawi judged that the land belongs to Mary and her family and after getting all the documents in place Mary asked for help from the local police in Mulanje to go and reclaim the land as her right. The Police refused to help, so Mary and a few FOMO helpers took down the fence and entered the land. This was on Saturday.
On Sunday Mary was planning to go back onto the land, But the Mulli brothers led by Laston Mulli came on to the land and surrounded the house with armed (Guns) guards.
Under Lasten Mullis' direction the police arrested a number of the FOMO helpers. Mary also went to the police station to give a statement and try to get the FOMO helpers out of Jail. Mary was then also arrested and the Charge was Trespass and Conduct likely to cause breach of the peace
Mary spent Sunday night in the jail, but I was able to contact her by phone at that time.
The court case should have been on the Monday, but due to delays, they ran out of time, Tuesday was a holiday Malawi's Independence Day. Mary was now in a cell at Mulanje Police Station, with no bed or mattress, but she did have a blanket, Food was being provided by some of the FOMO helpers.
On Wednesday the case was brought to the magistrates court, and to Mary's surprise the original charges had changed., The new charges were for criminal theft, She is being charged on six counts,
- Malicious damage to a 2m wooden fence
- Theft of kitchen utensils
- Theft of five bicycles
- Criminal trespassing
- Conduct likely to cause breach of the peace
- Intimidation
The goods were said to be taken from houses that were illegally built on Mary's land by the Laston Mulli. (None of this is true and she and the other FOMO workers didn't even enter the houses.) These houses should have been removed by a court order last November.
The case went on all morning and got very political in their arguments. The new charges are being presented by the State and not Laston Mulli. They also had two lawyers on the case.
Theft is not a minor thing in Malawi, I know of one person who got drunk and stole a bit of meat and was locked up for two years, in Malawi two years is two years. The prisons are really grim.
Our lawyer applied for bail in the afternoon of Wednesday, but time ran out and the court came back on Thursday afternoon, Mary was in the cell at Mulanje police station that night. Mary got bail, but would not be allowed out until Tuesday next week!!!!!! while the police gathered the evidence. No evidence or witnesses were present at the hearing. Mary was then taken to Mulanje Prison, (even grimmer I have been as we were helping the prisoners, FOMO is larger than just helping the 5500 children we also help the community, Police, Hospital, Prison etc)
Mary is concerned for the childrens' welfare, as the Police seem to be targeting the structure of FOMO and have orders to arrest 20 of our key people on the same charges.
Mary has been fighting for a voice and rights for the children, but Mulli Brothers and what seems to me that Malawi state is bent on destroying Mary and FOMO.
FOMO and Mary have always respected the law and as a charity have always defused any local misunderstanding. Our aim now and into the future is to give the children a chance. Mary and I wish to express our concern that Malawi's reputation as a free democratic country is being undermined by The Mulli Brothers headed by Laston Mulli. Malawians need help.
One thing I am not sure of when it happened it was either Sunday or Monday, a few of the children started throwing stones at the police station while Mary was inside. Instead of letting Mary defuse the situation the Police responded with tear gas. Mary is looked upon by the 5500 children and 250 volunteer workers as their mother and provider.
The Land Case: Approx two and a half years ago The Mulli Brothers purchased the Chitakale Tea estate without seeing it, without deeds or even knowing where the boundaries were.
The boundary was and is the river, FOMO farmed a small piece of land between the river and road, (We also had a bee keeping project there as well). This land was owned by Mary and her extended family. All the papers were in place to show this. Mulli with his guards invaded the land and adjacent common land and said it was theirs, they smashed up the bee keeping equipment, stole thecrops and levelled the land, further down the line they also built 4 house in breach of a court order.
The Mulli brothers charged through the courts that Mary was trespassing on the Land. He again had no evidence. Mary dug up the Chitakale deed and documents that clearly showed where the boundary was, and also presented our legal papers of the land to him, but he refused all this, going through the courts Mary won the case and last November was given leave to retake the land by the High court, and Mulli must remove the houses and return the land to pre invasion state. Mulli then started on the land and appealed to the high Supreme Court the highest in the country. The court after much time ruled that the original judgement was upheld and the land belonged to Mary. The ruling was last week. The whole case took over two and a half years, during this time Mary was calm even when her life was threatened on at least two occasions and she and the FOMO volunteers were under constant intimidation.
MARY AND HER FOMO TEAM NEED TO BE RELEASED NOW SO THAT THEY CAN CARRY ON THEIR ESSENTIAL WORK
