THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) says it does not support attacks on lawyers, local or foreign.
In its response to the war of words between Robert Amsterdam the lawyer representing former president Rupiah Banda’s son Henry and the PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba and some government officials, LAZ president James Banda said the association will not support attacks on lawyers, regardless of where the lawyers come from.
“We wish to state categorically that lawyers are free to represent any person requiring their services in the field in which they are competent and where there is no conflict of interest,” Mr Banda said in a statement released in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Kabimba recently described Mr Amsterdam as a mercenary and dog of war, for issuing various statements attacking the PF government for allegedly persecuting his client.
Mr Amsterdam threatened to take a dossier to the United Nations, detailing how the PF government is allegedly persecuting Henry with the ultimate aim of pressuring former President Banda and the destruction of the main opposition party, the MMD.
In an earlier statement, Mr Amsterdam said the Zambian government’s attempts to bring Henry to trial were a “farce” driven by “political motivation.”
This prompted Mr Kabimba to describe the “UN” threats Mr Amsterdam issued as an exercise in futility which will not change his client Henry’s “wanted” status for criminal investigations in Zambia.
“Mr Amsterdam must know that evil shall never prevail over good. The people of Zambia are demanding justice and restitution, not persecution. If Henry is innocent, why is the man on the run? How can you run away from mere investigations?” Mr Kabimba said.
Former president Rupiah Banda and Henry have engaged international lawyers to represent them in case in which they are being investigated by law enforcement officers in the country.
Among the deals Henry has been linked to is hiring of RP Capital, a Cayman Island-registered company alleged to have under-valued the assets of the state telecom company Zamtel at only US$257 million when the company was worth much more.
But the LAZ president said it is up to Henry and his lawyers to challenge the actions of Interpol if they feel there was no compliance with the laws.
“It must be mentioned also that a challenge can be mounted on the grounds that the government is using the Interpol notice system to harass political opponents,” Mr Banda said.
He said whether or not Mr Amsterdam is qualified to practice law in Zambia is ‘neither here nor there.’
Through a request from the Zambian government, the Interpol has issued a red notice alert against Henry, a request for a provisional arrest of a wanted person with a view to extradition.
Interpol usually issues such a notice when it is satisfied that all the conditions for processing the information have been fulfilled.
Mr Banda said it is within Henry’s rights to challenge the issuance of this notice or any eventual arrest and attempts to extradite him.
“This challenge will usually be done in the country the applicant (in this case Henry Banda) is currently staying. It necessarily follows that Mr Banda is at liberty to engage international lawyers to challenge the red alert notice and any subsequent proceedings. These procedures are available to any citizen of the world and can be employed at any time,” Mr Banda said.
He cited the case in which Sweden issued an arrest warrant for the ‘wikileaks man’ Julian Assange for sex crimes and then requested Interpol to issue a red notice alert against him (Assange).
He said Interpol issued the notice but Mr Assange engaged lawyers in the United Kingdom where he is resident, to challenge the notice and any possible extradition.
“Similarly, it is open to Mr. Banda and his lawyers to challenge the actions of Interpol if they feel there was no compliance with laid down laws and procedure or for whatever legitimate reason. It must be mentioned also that a challenge can be mounted on the grounds that the government is using the Interpol notice system to harass political opponents,” Mr Banda said.
Mr Banda, however, said LAZ has every confidence that government through the Attorney Generals’ office will effectively deal with this matter and any possible suits which might arise.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
I can’t even read the article, is that the LAZ president? What a country.
what’s your problem?
#1 a u a typical bemba iliterate . . . .try drinking a few sachets of tujilijili or a “cup level ” of kachasu maybe it will delete the PF idiocy in u and unlock your suppressed thinking capacity
Well stated
LAZ,just tell that guy who runs a newspaper on Bwinjifumu road to stop attacking the Judicially because judgement was not in his favour,why speak in parables atase?
Tell them bro
Everyone is free to take all actions within the law. Note there is no law that limits the size of the egos involved so one cannot rule out more jabs from both sides but merely temper the language of the diss fest to come :)
What do you expect from a tribal govt without vision?
Thank you Banda hope Winter will take up and understand this piece of advice; only a person with deaf ears could not read between what the learned Lawyer has said. PF Government do not show your hatred dictatorship to the world you are not the only ones PF Cadres who knows law.
PF Show maturity now that you are in Government, what is wrong with you guys. you even fail to state positions of party cadres who antagonize government positions. this shows how in mature the PF Government is.
LAZ seem to waste time and energy to justify themselves as honouarable people in the eyes of the public when infact they are the ones that dishonour themselves with their conduct. LAZ should not pretend because their own members defy protocol and insult their own organisation by conducts such as that of Kabimba attacking foreign lawyers out of political expediency, Mr Nchito and Mmembe describing a judgement as a sham by judiciary, Kameza implicated in the death of a client, others include thefts of clients money and misleading council for personal benefits and the list goes on. Such are the action of people society holds in high esteem for fair and justice, yet are they clean themselves? LAZ be exemplary through in all what you do and say.
rubbish
@Nostradamus… Could you please state your case, I agree with Mary…. Yes, whats your problem?
Libs for Lads wayasha mwaiche !
I think the recent rant against the judiciary by Mumba Malila is only going to help Henry’s case.
Summer Kabimba for Chief Justice . . . .the worst lawyer in the universe who has never won any case in his entire life now wants to behave like he knows anything.Sha!
Thankyou LAZ, with one statement you have redeemed yourselves albeit a little late. The looming blood bath on the international stage was not only going to make your whole membership the laughing stock in international legal fraternity but also a case study on national ignorance of international law and ‘protection of the rule of law by legal practioners’ in text books worldwide!
eish..i wish and wish I cud be living somewhere else far away from such rabid lawyers like summer kabimba..hahahaLAZ is very toothless in Zambia..
This is the most tribal government Zambia has ever produced,and the chaps are not even ashamed of themselves. God bless Zambia.