Despite a court order releasing former President Rupiah Banda’s passport and official notification to immigration authorities approving his travel to Kenya for the inauguration, today authorities acting under instructions from President Michael Sata forcefully prevented him from boarding his flight, says his international lawyer Robert Amsterdam.
Former President Banda, who is currently facing a politically charged case, arrived to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka today for his flight to Nairobi bearing both his passport and a copy of the court order, but was stopped by immigration authorities that refused to process him, says Amsterdam.
At this point, an administrative assistant to former President Banda presented the court order from the Magistrate, which clearly orders the release of the passport and the permission to travel for the period of one week, and spoke by telephone with Zambia’s Chief Immigration Officer, who said “we have received orders not to process former President Banda from an authority higher than the court,” says Amsterdam.
“Today’s incident at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka represents a complete breakdown of the rule of law in Zambia, and a further indication that former President Banda cannot expect a fair trial,” said Amsterdam. “This shameful and embarrassing conduct is the result of an authoritarian state acting under the orders of a frightened and enfeebled president who is willing to break the law, violate rights, and ignore the judicial process in order to attack his opponents.”
Amsterdam continued: “Keep in mind that former President Banda has never been convicted of any wrongdoing, recall that the accusations against him are completely suspect, and, judging by thoroughly illegal handling removal of his immunity, it appears the Patriotic Front has lost all credibility as normal democratic government. This is not a normal case, and this is not a normal government, and today’s outrageous defilement of the judicial system is yet another reminder of the destruction wrought upon Zambia’s image as a democracy.”
Azachucha…..do onto others….!!
Amsterdam, is the most corrupt international lawyer. How does he defend a man who openly has destroyed the moral fabric of zambia? Shame on him…Shame shame on him. Rupiah must be brought to his knees for what he did and what he has failed to confess.
Cadres are busy abusing RDA and ZESCO resources and you are just mute ? people who have no business being on professional boards are drawing allowances illegally ? and you stand on top of a hill and claim to be allergic to corruption ? nephews,nieces,grandchildren appointed to sensitive diplomatic positions without proper grooming ? God is never mocked
Nkhani yalula………nhani yalula
bachi mukasote nga tababwelele bamudala
Why should citizens bother to obey courts if the government can not?
Waite a minute Mr Lawyer, the Court order was to relise Bandas passport and not otherwise. Zambia is a country ruled by the laws of the land. The Immigration department has it’s own procedures. Mr Banda is under prosecution and can not be travelling out of the country any how. His movement should be controlled and monitored and only when its neccessary for him to travel. Mind you Mr Lawyer you are the one who helped Banda’s son to jump the boader. Banda should not be allowed to jump like his son, every thing will be put in gear to ensure that this criminal does not jump the boader like his son.
By sanctioning this level of lawlessness in power structures, President Sata has adversely shot himself irredeemably. The sooner they blocked their 4th Zambian President H.E Rupiah Banda from attending Uhuru’s inauguration under invitation, all heads of States picked the news as the Kenyan media and other world media platform have taken it viral. Guy Scott and KK looked disoriented throughout the ceremony time.
This was a good opportunity of posturing a picture of democracy and rule of law in Zambia, alas, they have sabotaged their only opportunity.
By sanctioning this level of lawlessness in power structures, President Sata has adversely shot himself irredeemably. The sooner they blocked their 4th Zambian President H.E Rupiah Banda from attending Uhuru’s inauguration under invitation, all heads of States picked the news as the Kenyan media and other world media platform have taken it viral. Guy Scott and KK looked disoriented throughout the ceremony time.
This was a Golden opportunity squandered just like this. They could have let RB attend instead use it for posturing a picture of democracy and rule of law in Zambia, alas, they have sabotaged a rare opportunity given to anger, envy, bitterness and a sense of self defeat.
WHO BROKE THE LAW FIRST BETWEEN RB AND THE PF GOVERNMENT?THIS MAN STOLE AND ABUSED ZAMBIAN RESOURCES WITH IMPUNITTY!!HE EVEN WENT TO THE EXTENT OF REMOVING ABUSE OF OFFICE FROM CORRUPTION OFFENCES!!AMSTERDAM KNOWS THAT HE MAY NOT GET HIS FULL PAY FROM RB IF RB DOES NOT TRAVEL BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY AMSTERDAM CAN MEET RB IS WHEN RB TRAVELS OUTSIDE ZAMBIA!!RIP WHAT YOU SOW!!
WHO BROKE THE LAW FIRST BETWEEN RB AND THE PF GOVERNMENT?THIS MAN STOLE AND ABUSED ZAMBIAN RESOURCES WITH IMPUNITTY!!HE EVEN WENT TO THE EXTENT OF REMOVING ABUSE OF OFFICE FROM CORRUPTION OFFENCES!!AMSTERDAM KNOWS THAT HE MAY NOT GET HIS FULL PAY FROM RB IF RB DOES NOT TRAVEL BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY AMSTERDAM CAN MEET RB IS WHEN RB TRAVELS OUTSIDE ZAMBIA!!RIP WHAT YOU SOW!!WALOBA ILYAUMA !!
Good move.Banda is a flight risk.He wouldnt have come back.Amsterdam is busy organising a place or asylum for RB. That was the only oppotunity.His son is at large ruuning around the globe.His son must be organising a place abroad.He will go after defending himself. We have got laws
Waite a minute Mr Lawyer, the Court order was to relise Bandas passport and not otherwise. Zambia is a country ruled by the laws of the land. The Immigration department has it’s own procedures. Mr Banda is under prosecution and can not be travelling out of the country any how. His movement should be controlled and monitored and only when its neccessary for him to travel. Mind you Mr Lawyer you are the one who helped Banda’s son to jump the boader. Banda should not be allowed to jump like his son, every thing will be put in gear to ensure that this criminal does not jump the boader.
He is a flight risk. Whether you are senior citizen or the wonderful for today Matipa guy above; we all should know this, that former heads of state are easily given Asylum by other scandalous or states with an image of false friendship to build. Former president Banda even broke common sense laws, like anti corruption abuse of office act. He removed a statute to prosecute former ruling heads and governent officials, why? Zambians these former leaders embezzled you money not Amsterdams.
Levies Matipa must know the value of keeping quiet when he has nothing sensible to say. From the poor grammar and spelling, one can easily tell that Levies is an average minded person who wants to pretend to be intelligent. My advice to him is that he should reserve his shallow knowledge in matters of law for his colleagues in taverns and kachasu dens. Does this fellow really know what prosecution means? What procedures is he talking about? I want to educate him that the law says one is not guilty until proven guilty by a court of law. Even five olds know about this.
if any citizen of Zambia is not giving chance to go out if he has a case in courty, who is Lupya Banda not to denied to go out if he has a course don’t act like “animal farm” All animals are equal but some animals should not be more equal …….already Henry his son is in diaspora you want even the father to run away with what he has stolen? foolish all who are supporting Banda ……..
RB as is our nascent Zambian democracy now under siege will never run short of international voices, advocates and solidarity. Dictatorship is abhorred by all and it creates an army of passionate volunteers who start fiercely fighting it on many fronts till it is exterminated.
Today like never before, there is a critical Mass of Zambians and friends of Zambia that may burst this tyranny of unacceptable insanity.
Since when did the court become an immigration department? The Court ordered the passport of Mr. RB to be released which was done and end of its jurisdiction. If the court ordered that he travels out, that was overstreching its boundary of authority. How many times are persons granted visas to travel to foreign countries just be denied entry into those countries/ Given that scenarior, would you consider that country that denied one entry as being un democratic. Travelling outside is not a right, but a priviledge that can be denied if an individual is found to be of questionable character. While the Govt should have used his goodwill to allow the ex-prez to attend, the behaviour of his so called lawyer complicates leaves much to be desired. I think his Amsterdam bears the blame for this.
if you support this kind of thinking you are just as dull as pf is kaponya *****s
Iwe chi Amsterdam, keep out of Zambian politics, why should R.B be allowed to travel abroad while on bail .just pack your bag and leave Africa and go back to Europe where you belong London or the Netherlands. You are not fit to be even a soloictor in Europe
SORRY FOR TYPING ERROR,IT SHOULD READ SOLICITOR,
The problem in Zambia is so many people a dull and can cheer at anything..
The are busy cheering Ukwa on as he destroys what has taken 20 yrs to build..
Lucky i left long ago and will watch you on CNN
Iyee hehehehehehehhehe, You have made my day today, yani…., it’s comedy, at first i actualy thought it was a thriller, i beg to differ, it’s a Komedy! Imagine this bane…, ukulonga ama suit cases, imagination mumutwe ati twaya, bye hehehehehhehehehe, am so breaking apart mumbafu, only to get at the airpôrt yazanda. I can just imagine Thandi’s desperation, panick you name it, this was something to them mind you, after flocking every week to those zambian courts, awe bane, i would be on my toes to leave, iye awe what a day.
Seriously, no law is broken, this RB has done it before, Henuli vapourised in to thin air, i for one wouldnt risk it, cant wait for his reaction tomorrow buchebwangu mwe!
Ici nacho icha sasa mukanwa chabosa! Am sure he prepared his room for them, washininksha the other guys where a step ahead!
Zambia is now officially a failed state I.habittex by a good number of failed minds.
Those rejoicing in the breakdown Rule of Law in our country and indeed those that are shooting the messenger “Amsterdam” are nothing less than embeciles and advocates for anarchy in Zambia. They are vindictive and nothing but hatred for RB. What kind of people are you? The law is in place to deal with wrong doing and while you are happy that he is before the courts, you appear unhappy about decisions being made by the very courts as long as they don’t promote your machination. RB is innocent until proven guilty and should enjoy his freedoms as anybody else is entitled to. Charges that are not bail-able are in the statutes, his isn’t. It is his international credibility that is at stake if he absconds not yours and the country’s if we fail to promote the rule of law in the country.
A PASSPORT IS ISSUED BY THE PASSPORT OFFICE…TRAVEL TO ANY COUNTRY IS THE AUTHORITY OF ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, IMMIGRATION.
UHURU KENYATTA IS A PRESIDENT OF A COUNTRY, HAS EVEN A DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT BUT CANNOT TRAVEL ANYHOW BECAUSE HE IS UNDER TRIAL IN SOME COURT.
IF THE CO-ACCUSED, HIS SON, IS AT LARGE WHY SHOULD MY GOVERNMENT LET HIM TRAVEL TO CONSULT HIS LAWYER?
this is just an indication that Sata is not the right man for our loving mother zambia he has brought so much shame to our nation. I guess this is a lasson to all reasoning youths out there. we need interllectuals to govern us. my heart bleeds for mother zambia
Alaonda mundala welcome to the real world bwana RB, reflect on your dids when you served as president maybe that will help you understand what is happening to you, unlike using corrupt lawyer as your mouth piece, it will save you some money sir. Your son as run away you may also run away, so you are flight risk lol wow iliko bad pa zed politics.
Mr Levies Matipa,its wrong 2 prejudice. Mr RB is innoncent till proved guilty by the law,& if you are saying that RB is a criminal,that is sueable statement by deforming his charactor.SATA is digging his own grave,one day he will be caught up by the law..
Ok senior citizen, it fair for Banda to go to Kenya even when the inauguration is over. Corrupt people can do anything to save their image. Mr Banda before appointed Vice President he was bankrupt and the bar riffs were the cup of tea. Thanks to levy. Ruphia dismantled what Levy thought will stop corruption. Anyone with heart for Zambia will think twice how on earth can mr Banda afford to pay Amsterdam in thousand dollars per hour just can’t understand where the millions of dollars have come from. The magistrate has to justify is mr Banda adding any importance for Zambia attending inauguration ? The answer is no. Just mr Banda’ s finding away to paint Zambia as bad. The move taken by immigration is good and no malice at all. Amsterdam you have lost your corrupt ways of using propaganda
Ok senior citizen, it fair for Banda to go to Kenya even when the inauguration is over. Corrupt people can do anything to save their image. Mr Banda before appointed Vice President he was bankrupt and the bar riffs were the cup of tea. Thanks to levy. Ruphia dismantled what Levy thought will stop corruption. Anyone with the heart for Zambia will think twice how on earth can mr Banda afford to pay Amsterdam in thousand dollars per hour just can’t understand where the millions of dollars have come from. The magistrate has to justify is mr Banda adding any importance for Zambia attending inauguration ? The answer is no. Just mr Banda’ s finding away to paint Zambia as bad. The move taken by immigration is good and no malice at all. Amsterdam you have lost your corrupt ways of using…
Zambia is in problems because of people like the Engineer who are disconnected with reality and keep cheering for plunderers! RB is not in politics, so he is not an opponent to anyone. Amsterdam is presenting RB as if he is running for presidency in Zambia and some useful *****s are buying it.
Some judges logic should be questioned, the bail conditions apply only in Zambia, who was supposed to watch over RB in Kenya to make sure that he does not jump bail and seek asylum in one of the embassies there?
If only the Engineer can know that 20 years is a long time and MMD could have achieved a lot and built a country we can be proud of, not a country of high unemployment, corruption, plunder, more shanties and buried billions! MMD achieved more negatives under RB and Chiluba.
The deal is between the courts and him and somehow the government overstepped their
Boundaries . How does the Government expect the courts to rule in their favor if they keep stepping over their boundaries and making the courts toothless , letting him travel is not a crime it’s just a question of being fair. Besides the goverment is responsible for his well being wherever he is.
Those of you who are saying there is a breakdown in the rule of law just commit a crime if you are in Zambia and let us see if the law will not visit you. It is different if you are saying the law is being selectively applied.
TIME TO HERO WORSHIP CROOKS LIKE RB AND AMSTERDAM IS GONE. ARMSTARDAD LEAV UR COUNTRY ALONE. U ARE JUST ANOTHER VULTURE AND RB IS YO USEFULL *****. BRAVO GOVT!RB WOULD HAVE RUN AWAY.MAGISTRATE BANDA IS JUST ANOTHER SUSPECT JUDGE .FOOLISH JUDICIARY!
It’s a tragedy how some people will mindlessly condemn! Surely, how could any honest thinking Zambian align himself with an apparently crooked lying and propagandist individual as that Amsterdam chap! I find it hard to believe that any sane honest Zambian would believe any of the words coming from Amsterdam.
Many of the blogs here truly make sad reading. Is there Zambian patriotism or any integrity of thought at all?
Why should poor pipo imprisoned almost immediately even just 4 stealing a chicken yet dis mass killer thru his corrupt practices yo want him 2 galavant the way he was doing while busy plundering? Devils!@Ci senior citizen nd Ci enginear u re magots.
@37 ,my beloved ,some Zambians just like this old crook have no heart 4 these country.lndeed how can a sane adult conqure with what this vulture like human being -Armsterdam has said? RB u are enermy #1 of our country. Sadly we have useless judges.
Amsterdam, useful idi0t in chief
Sorry i ment this
Going by what Amsterdam is saying that RB cannot get a fair trial in Zambia, then the opportnity for RB to run away was high on the agenda. If Robert can openly say that, it means only one thing jumping the bail and disappear in the Diaspora.
@42 ,INDEED HE WANTED TO RUN AWAY LIKE HIS SON. BRAVO GOVT. RB IS A CROOK SO IS ARMSERDAM VULTURE HYNA.
This is a govt of thugs who respect no laws and its sad that some imbeciles are f0olish enough to cheer them on.Calling RB a plunderer when its not been proven shows how hateful some zambians are.Disobeyin court orders is breakin the law and you can’t invent your own silly rules to enforce the same law you’re breaking.
Just because Amsterdam says there is a breakdown of the rule of law in Zambia does not mean it is so. The lawyer helped James to jump, and defended him saying he cannot get a fair trail in Zambia. Whoever told him that James’ investigation was going to lead to trial. The lawyer also is prejudiced against the Zambian judicial system. As far as he is concerned none of his clients can get a fair hearing in Zambia. In short, he calls Zambians foolish and of no good. To him there is nothing good that can come from Zambia except the dollars RB is paying him.
@Enka,u are just anoder useful fool. Yo hero is a flight risk. He was going 2 run away like his child ,Henry. l have head wat anoder useful imbicile has said. HH ,U ARE REALLY A DEMAGOGUE.ONLY YO KIND WILL BELIEVE U. HAVE u EVER SAID ANY + THING?
How some pipo can support this is beyond me.Our only recourse when victims of injustice are the courts.Now if a court order in favour of RB can be ignored what of simple you.This government does not care that this is an issue being followed world wide.What would happen to you *****s who are not even known anywhere if the state wanted to sort you out?
This govt is now taking Zambians for a joy ride. Why do we have courts in the first place if what they rule will not be upheld? The man is being tried in court and if the court says he can go who is the govt to stop him. I now think he is being tried in”govt” and not court.
RB never wanted to take any advice when he was in office and called himself sturbon,so he shouldn’t complain. let him accept that other people can also try to be sturbon..
Eyo mulampapusha!!!!!! mulesapota impupu? Kanshi naine nkamidumina chikapwilemo. Shame.
Even Amsterdam would make a better Presido than the clown we have!!