By Jimmy Chazama
The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate Court on Tuesday issued a warrant of arrest for renowned content creator Hannah Jabes, popularly known as Tamia Ja, following her repetitive failure to appear in court for proceedings related to a case of alleged unlawful disclosure of health information.
Tamia Ja was expected to appear before the court yesterday to take plea in a case brought forward by the State, which accuses her of publicly revealing the health status of another individual without consent. It marked her second consecutive absence, having also failed to attend a scheduled hearing on August 26, 2025.
On the previous occasion, the court opted for leniency, ordering her to pay a fine of K50,000 within seven days instead of issuing an arrest warrant.
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However, the fine was never paid and she, again, failed to honour Tuesday’s summons. Public prosecutor Bruno Matumbi, who is leading the prosecution team, expressed concern over the delays caused by the accused’s noncompliance.
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“What transpired is that the matter was called for hearing, specifically for the accused to take plea and allow the prosecution to commence [proceedings]. But she did not show up. This is the second time,” Matumbi said. He said the court had previously issued a fine instead of a warrant, but that she neither paid the fine nor appeared at the court on Tuesday despite receiving a summons.
“She has disobeyed the court twice. The witnesses had been brought to court on both occasions, only to be sent back due to the accused’s absence,” Matumbi said.
He said the court has since ordered that Tamia Ja be arrested and held in police custody until the trial concludes to ensure her presence in future proceedings.
“The aim of the warrant is to secure her attendance. When she is on bail, she is taking advantage of her freedom to miss court dates. This measure ensures the trial proceeds without further waste of public resources,” Matumbi said.
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