Friday, March 29, 2024

Now Dr Musokotwane demands K50 million compensation, apology and retraction from Munir Zulu

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Finance Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane is demands K50 million and unqualified apology from Lumezi Independent Member of Parliament Munir Zulu over his alleged defamatory statement accusing Dr Musokotwane of having received a bribe of USD250, 0000 from the contractors awarded the contract on the Lusaka – Ndola Road.

Dr Musokotwane is also demanding the immediate retraction of the defamatory statement in its entirety within 24 hours.

This is according to a demand letter by the Minister’s Lawyers, Keith Mweemba and Company, dated 24th March 2023 and received by Mr. Zulu’s Lawyers, Messer’s Makebi Zulu & Co, on Wednesday, 29th March 2023.

“We refer to the above captioned matter and advise that we have been consulted and retained by Honorable Dr. Situmebeko Musokotwane (our client). Our client instructs that we write you in relation to the false, malicious and libelous statement which you made at a media briefing held by concerning our client on or about 21st March, 2023 whereat you uttered and caused to be published false and malicious allegations against our client in the following words, thus:
“Right now we have received information, solid information, that the current Minister of Finance Honourable Musokotwane, together with the current Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development Honourable Milupi have been appearing at the Anti-Corruption Commission secretly. Initially, when the call outs were sent to the two senior cabinet ministers, they avoided going to ACC so that they could be questioned,” reads the letter in part.

The letter further reads, “And our associates are telling us that they are being investigated for having received USD250, 000 each from a named firm. That money went through a bank transfer and we know that State House is aware of this investigation, but we do not know why ACC is not updating the nation on where they are with the investigation. Fellow citizens and colleagues we have also received very disturbing news that Engineer Kutawala is involved in having transferred some amounts of money two days before his appointment as Board Chair through a bank transfer again to Honorable Milupi and the ACC are following up the matter.”

According the Minister’s Lawyers the statement or words were understood to mean that the Minister is a corrupt man who abuses his office, “a man without integrity and a criminal who is unfit to hold the position of Minister of Finance.”

“Your uncouth and defamatory words were published to a wide audience on Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms and have caused our client great prejudice, distress, reputational damage and injury,” reads the letter in part.

Dr Musokotwane is therefore, according to the letter demanding that the Lumezi MP issues a clear and unqualified public apology to him in a similar fashion to retract the defamatory statement.

The Lawyers have demanded that the Lumezi MP further stops issuing any further statements against the Minister.

“Furthermore having regard to our Client’s position as Minister of Finance, the gravity of the allegations and published to the wide social media audience and considering also that your malicious statements were made at a time when our client was meeting with officials from the International Monetary Fund and other development partners seeking a resolution to Zambia’s external debt, we demand the payment of Zambian Kwacha Fifty Million (K50, 000, 000) sum as compensation for reputational damage and distress

67 COMMENTS

  1. Like most have said, this was a civil matter so why did the police rush to arrest Munir? Total confusion.
    Munir has applied to the AG to allow him to prosecute the case in his private capacity, the AG seems not to pay attention.
    Further Munir has insisted that he has all the evidence, so would this be the reason there’s panic in the sacred kraal?
    What the ACC DG should be aware of is that in every organization there’s always a “mole”… someone who smuggle out information. Munir could have such friends in the ACC.

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    • Since he has evidence there is no need for you in the “sacred trees” to panic. Patience comrades, have patience let the court proceedings run their course.

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    • There is no evidence………..

      Who would be do dull as to allow 250k corrupt deposit into your account as alleged ???

      His allegations boarder on causing civil unrest………..

      Teach that small boy the hard lessons of libel…………

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    • It is not a civil matter. Munir Zulu alleged that he had evidence of a crime. The police, as is their right, demanded this evidence. Munir refused or was unable to provide this evidence, and so the police arrested him for withholding evidence of a crime. Munir could have avoided problems with the police by telling them that he was lying. In stead he stood by his allegations, but was not able to provide the evidence. You and I do not have the right to withhold evidence of a crime against the state from the state

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    • The Attorney General does not approve private prosecution; it’s the DPP. It’s possible for an act to attract both criminal and civil proceedings. If my house is burgled into that’s a criminal act which the police can arrest the burglar for. It cannot stop me from suing the burglar for causing damage to my property. Criminal libel is an offence for which the police have arrested Munir Zulu but the ministers can take out civil proceedings against him for damage to their reputations.

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    • I’m not a lawyer so I’m asking; can the same charge in a criminal offence simultaneously prevail as a civil case? Doesnt the civil case wait until the criminal case has concluded? At least that’s what I have seen here in the number one democracy, US

    • #Charged Ka… there’s total confusion. Caused by the president’s involvement…. which caused Zombie Police (ZP) to arrest and charge the young man criminally. US is civilized place.

    • @Magoye Why are you washing the Police’s dirty and unprofessional actions for them? Are you Kajoba’s PA? They never said what you are saying. They never arrested Zulu for “withholding evidence of a crime” The police announced they had arrested him for criminal libel. Are you such a die hard UPND member you will defend every stupid action from them?

    • Deja Vu, this is a criminal matter. Criminal libel. Google it. Since the ***** failed to produce evidence to support his lies, he can start spreading lies about anyone and if these lies involve public or government officers, the damage is not restricted to the individuals, but to the wider community that the public officers serve.

  2. From the time Zambia got it independence from Kaunda to Lungu these leaders used to ask the investigative wing to do their own investigation, what is shocking and disappointed is for hichilema to tell his ministers to sue Mr Zulu, Honestly how! This shows that we have a misfit in state house. What i expected from hichilema is that he should have asked the ACC to investigate and not telling the useless ministers to sue!. This is shameful. On sugilite it’s now quiet what a disgrace a government.

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    • Hichilema did the right thing. This is a lesson to anyone who thinks that you can slander someone whenever you want. Munir Zulu will now have to account for his statements. He may end up losing his house and whatever else he has stolen when Dr Musokotwane wins his case.

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    • Same Mistakes. What Evidence do you have that the President instructed the Ministers to Sue the Youngman? Please don’t use Emotions or your personal perspective BUT FACTS. If Munir had Facts, he would have gone to ACC to open a case. The boy is an attention Seeker now he has touched the wrong button.

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    • #Prince and Magoye… don’t pretend to be ignorant of how things work in Zambia. Just wait for the end of this charade for you to start blaming judges as being PF sympathizers.
      Munir is ready to prosecute the case but will allow him? No

  3. It’s obvious that Musokotwane has always dreamed of owning fifty million Kwacha. By the way why hasn’t he sued those who connected to the 47houses?

    • Musokotwane’s net work has always been way above that for decades. Do you think the vengeful Pombwe – Mwankole clique would have left him alive in their 7 years of terror if they had anything that could stick kikikiki. Sue him kaili since you have connected the dots

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  4. One of the defences to a defamation case is ‘justification’.

    Hon. Munir claims to have the evidence as he claims, let him allow this civil case to go into Court so that he justifies his allegations. This is his opportunity to present the evidence before the Court, and if the Court finds the evidence credible, he will have proved his allegations against Hon. Musokotwane. If not, he shall bear the consequences, that is, payment of heavy damages for damaging the Minister’s reputation.

    As some would say, “The truth shall out’.

    • I’m not a lawyer so I’m asking; can the same charge in a criminal offence simultaneously prevail as a civil case? Doesnt the civil case wait until the criminal case has concluded? At least that’s what I have seen here in the number one democracy, US

    • The Youngman is being wrongly advised and used. He really blundered on this matter and people should learn a lesson. NEVER USE EMOTIONS OR RUMORS but facts. It’s simple. Just follow the proper procedures. Go to ACC with your Evidence than going Public in accusing innocent people.

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  5. The era of allegations then silence of the PF and lungu regime is over………….

    People accused lungu of being a corrupt theif everyday………..and lungu kept silent , he knew he was a corrupt theif.

    This time round, you call someone a corrupt theif……..expect to be called to give your evidence or have your a.ss sued.

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    • Lungu was a crook. The reason why he kept quiet was that if he sued anyone in court, his corruptions would spilled and spelled out in the court papers. Instead, the brute tried violently suppress his opponents.

  6. These chaps are a dangerous cult just like our founding father predicted. Some use the church but these lot are hiding behind democracy. Continue abusing your powers with impunity, the Zambian people will have the last laugh.

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  7. Is Honorable Musokotwane also demanding “compensation for reputational damage and distress” from APNAC, since the statement complained against was made by Munir Zulu in his capacity as Secretary General of APNAC?

    • Whatever information Munir has (if any) is under APNAC files. The Republican president did not advise the finance minister to petition the organization, perhaps it is the reason the litigation is one sided.
      Note also that the malicious damage was caused on 21/03/2023, while the demand letter was written on 24/03/2023 which exchanged hands on 29/03/2023. How come it took (4 plus 6) 10 days to react to a matter of such grave magnitude when Munir only gave them 2 days ultimatum?
      I advise that APNAC be sued as second respondents.

  8. If there is one thing I have gotten fed up with in Zambian politics, it is the threats of spilling the beans with non-existent evidence as well as the threat of suing by the accused. Ladies and gentlemen, we are back to the same script we have been exposed to in the past. It is ultimatum after ultimatum which in the end distracts development.

  9. Surely, Munir has some problems. Example, what he said when he got out of the cells about people in his area being more intelligent than people of Bweengwa!. This was uncalled for confrontation with potential to disturb the peace in the nation. He is a loose canon.

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    • They are more intelligent than us, and yet this tribalist is in trouble, and now he is trying to use tribalism to protect him from his crimes. His mouth is about to get him in more trouble. His people are so intelligent that you find them all over the “Bweengwa area”, from Kabwe to Livingstone…

    • The boy is a problem, let him pay the ZMW50 Million which he doesn’t even have. He is following wrong PF Advisors.

  10. TAYALI has also said so many things about you on his face book page. Check his page.
    Why are you not collecting another K100 million from him.?

    • I think by now most people know that Tayali is mentally unfit and always hallucinating. Even young people know that he is not fit and hence he is always ignored. Remember towards the 2021 August election he was yapping and making all sorts of accusation and HH back then sued him. Only the case to seize when he was elected. Munir is different, a member of parliament who should not make accusation of such magnitude without evidence. The least he could have done was to report the ministers to ACC until for their action. If no action blow the whistle. I’m sure the evidence can even be posted on social media and shown to the public.

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  11. This man has no integrity at all! And it seems we have UPND sycophants with memories of a Gold fish posting gibberish here. Who remembers the case where Musokotwane granted the deferment of value added tax (VAT) and excise duty to Varun Beverages Zambia limited the producers of Pepsi on their product for a period of five years?

  12. No person can allow a deposit of that amount
    In his account as this will backfire.
    We can see that Munir is now backpedaling
    As he had said he will give evidence after
    Twenty four hours?

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    • Kikikikikikiki! Iwe Deja Vu I think I know you. You are from Section C in Kankoyo where we grew up watching Bioscope. Every time the cowboy had finished killing the bad guys and the movie finished all of us in the Hall shouted and screamed “The Eeend” as this was flashed on the screen

  13. The are so many other key topics to debate and discuss on this news site but no one is interested in doing that. How can we develop as a nation like this?

  14. We hv no misfit in State House. We hv a misfit in the office of Lumezi Member of Parliament. HH is very sure that his ministers hv not received that kind of money from anyone because he’s briefed by monitoring institutions on what’s going on as head of the executive. Why did Edgar Lungu talk about some of his ministers receiving millions of kwacha in their bank account? It’s because he had been briefed as head of the executive.

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  15. That small boy was thinking he was still in the lungu era………..where

    people were being accused of being corrupt theives everyday………

    and they did nothing, because they knew they were corrupt theives………….

    This is a different GRZ that takes allegations of corruption very seriously………..

    Watch how the boy will be begging for forgiveness like tiyali…………

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    • Last year, October, Hon. Masebo issued a demand letter, against libel, to TFM Holdings Chief Executive Officer, Mcebisi Mlonzi, demanding withdrawal of accusation letter and an unreserved apology. Did she ultimately sue TFM for defaming her when the definitive request was watered down? No.
      So what is Spaka fierily talking about?

    • Mulongoti Machayi

      Suing someone in SA is a lot different from suing someone local………..

      That case can drag on for years in SA

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    • All that followed was a weird cancelation of that contract and in Zambia, it was business as usual because ”suing someone in SA, is a lot different…”. Shame. I wonder whether you are even listening to yourself.

    • Mulongoti Machayi

      Ask the lungu clan and lubinda about trying to sue someone or an organisation that is not based in zambia…….in that case it was EIA

      You need to be an international business person with deep pockets to archive that……

  16. From Bweengwa, our president comes; from the East, the famous Three Wisemen came to gift the Baby.
    The village boy, cattle herder and farmer from Bweengwa is what our president happily calls himself. Bweengwa population, like Lumezi, is a beautiful cultured people (including able bodied and beloved president) as a lineage or clan. However, politics have continued to divide us by advancing tribo-matters.
    “I am a villager from Lumezi, but villagers of Lumezi are more intelligent than those from Bweengwa.”
    There is no tri bal ism here, but an altercation between Munir and the president.
    If he can call me “mischievous”, then I could as well him “dull”, must have been the motive behind that statement.

    • Some politicians think we are all politicians. It will be interesting to hear how the judge will interpret what I term as an insult to all the people of Bweengwa.

  17. Apweee, Bo Situmbeko wahesu wezize hande, kanyise kanamunungu kani kaatezwi ki ngambaanga ahulu. Ka tutule chelete, neba ngwee ya kuleka peba ya mundunyu konji ipale!

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  18. So HH goes to boast how he has repealed oppressive laws before the international community? He’s just window dressed because nothing has changed in practice. People are going through the same tortures as before. And this woman will report back to Joe Biden what HH has told her and not what is actually happening.

  19. The story of the Wolf and the Lamb. The wolf is up stream when he sees a lamb standing in the water down stream.
    He shouts ” So it’s you who has made water dirt and I can’t drink it?”
    Lamb: But Sir I am down stream so how can I make the water dirty upstream?
    Wolf: Even two years ago you did the same.
    Lamb: But sir, I am only six months old
    Wolf: Then it’s your brother
    Lamb: I am the first and last born
    Wolf: In that case let me just eat you.
    Same scenario here.

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  20. SOME OF OUR MPS ARE REALY A LET DOWN. HOW DO You BRING IN BWEENGWA AS A CONSTITUENCY OF DUNDAHEADS? IS HE FAIR? WHAT TYPE OF MPS ARE WE HAVING? AND ARE EVEN BEING GIVEN SOLIDARITY BY EVEN PEOPLE VYING TO BE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS. WHAT A SHAME ! SUCH ESCORTS SHOULD BE LEFT TO PEOPLE LIKE TAYALI , NAKACHINDA , NAWAKWI , AND IMBOELA WHO ARE CLASSIFIED AS FAFOS

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  21. WE HAVE ALWAYS STARTED THAT THE PF HAVE PLANNED A SERIES OF SYNDICATES TO RAISE FALSEHOOD AGAINST HH AND HIS GOVERNMENT. TODY MINUR CONFESSES THAT HE HAD GONE TO ACC TO BRIBE THEM. THE QUESTION IS,”THAT BRIBE WAS FOR WHAT? WAS IT TO MAKE THE ACC RAISE FALSE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SITUMBEKO AND MILUPI?

  22. How did this man arrive at the figure of K50milion? Does he think is he a son of Lucifer?
    He has a very unbalanced conceited mind.
    And this is the caliber of ministers , hence government, that we endure.
    Procedure is for criminal matters to proceed civil ones. Therefore , until Munir’s criminal issues are settled
    Musokotwane’s litigation must continue to incubate in the court registry.
    This is a wolf with an eye for a quick buck.

    • There’s no court in Zambia, or in any democracy for that matter, that would give Musokotwane K50 million for libel. Unless its his mother’s court.

  23. This new doom government is a failed project.
    Mealie meal is some parts of the country is been sold @ K 350.00 and some fo.ols are busy claiming to have a heart for the nation, you jokers.

  24. Do not just brag about against the K50 million demand from Dr Musokotwane. These amounts are arrived at with VIP position in society and other additives – capacity and worth of an individual.
    However, those on Munir pay roll should just advise him to produce evidence and allegations proved, case in his favor. Or pay up the K50 million demand after all, Munir Zulu been supported by the Islamic Association of Zambia who bankrolled him into parliament. That support is forth coming. Watch the space.

    • There’s no court in Zambia, or in any democracy for that matter, that would give Musokotwane K50 million for libel. Unless its his mother’s court.

  25. Zambians let’s wake up these id.iots are trying to cause us to loose focus on real issues affecting the nation…

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