LUSAKA High Court Judge-in-Charge Philip Musonda has ordered the arrest of businessman Aristogerasimos Vangelatos for disregarding a court order that required him to attend contempt proceedings.

Mr Justice Musonda issued the bench warrant after Vangelatos failed to attend contempt proceedings on two occasions.

The judge cited Vangelatos for summary contempt after he scandalised the court by alleging that Mr Justice Musonda, Judge Nigel Mutuna and lawyer Eric Silwamba have conspired to inflict injustice on him.

He made the allegations when he went to see Mr Justice Musonda in chambers, after which the court ordered him to go and collect his lawyer Rodger Chongwe whom he alleged had sent him to make the allegations.

[pullquote]“You are therefore commanded in the President’s name to arrest the said Aristogerasimos Vangelatos forthwith and lodge him in prison.”-Warrant Except to Greenwell Ng’uni [/pullquote]

Vangelatos went to Mr Justice Musonda’s chambers on June 14, 2010 and after making the allegations around 12:30 hours, the judge ordered him to go and collect Dr Chongwe.

He promised to go back to Mr Justice Musonda with Dr Chongwe around 14:00 hours the same day but the duo never turned up for summary trial until the court summoned him.

Later Mr Justice Musonda set July 2, 2010 as date of hearing summons for contempt of court but Vangelatos again failed to show up.

“This continuous disregard of court orders can’t be condoned. A bench warrant for his arrest is hereby issued,” Mr Justice Musonda said.

His warrant addressed to Lusaka Division Commanding Officer Greenwell Ng’uni reads: “By an order of this court dated 2nd July 2010 it was ordered that Aristogerasimos Vangelatos of flat number 5 Acropolis Flats Chila Road Kabulonga, be committed to prison for contempt of this court.

“You are therefore commanded in the President’s name to arrest the said Aristogerasimos Vangelatos forthwith and lodge him in prison.”

When contacted, Lusaka Division commanding officer Greenwell Ng’uni said he does not know anything about the bench warrant against Vangelatos.

“I was out in Solwezi when it was issued. Maybe other officers attended to it,” Mr Ng’uni said.

Particulars of the summary contempt are that Vangelatos accused Mr Justice Musonda, Mr Justice Mutuna and Mr Silwamba of having conspired to decide cases against him.

He went on to state that Mr Justice Mutuna had decided his case against a Supreme Court judgment.
Vangelatos added that he had been to State House and to Chief Justice Ernest Sakala to report the alleged conspiracy.

When asked as to who advised him to make the allegations, he said it was Dr Chongwe.

Mr Justice Musonda said Vangelatos’ allegations were false, malicious and intended to undermine the court’s integrity.

He said by unleashing the malicious and twisted smear, Vangelatos intended to intimidate the court before hearing of his case

Vangelatos has over the years been embroiled in incessant legal battles with his brother Demetre over management and ownership of Dar Farms International Transport Company, King Quality Meat Products, and Metro Investments.

The Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) and Media Institute of Zambia (MISA) Zambia advised QFM Radio to make amends over its report that President Banda stopped over in South Africa to watch the World Cup finals on his way to Turkey.

PAZA vice-president Amos Chanda said in Lusaka yesterday that it was clear that the president was not at the World Cup, and that the radio station should correct the story that quoted Mr Mpombo.

“Clearly, President Banda was not at the World Cup. Their source of information was incorrect, they needed to verify before they published the story,” he said.

MISA Zambia chairperson Henry Kabwe said currently, there was no body to regulate the conduct of the media in Zambia.

And The Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ) has advised journalists to always verify facts before publishing stories.

ZUJ president Melody Mwala said in a statement that it was always advisable for journalists to be ethical by verifying stories before publishing or airing them to the public to avoid conflicts, especially at this time when the country is headed for elections next year.

Meanwhile, Independent Churches of Zambia (ICOZ) president David Masupa has advised Kafulafuta Member of Parliament George Mpombo to reflect on issues before making public statements.

And Rev Masupa has asked Mr Mpombo to apologise for trying to mislead the nation that President Rupiah Banda made a stop-over in South Africa to watch the just-ended World Cup final match on his way to Turkey.

He said it was wrong for the MP to base his statements on assumptions because that was dangerous.

[pullquote]Mr Chitwa said in Kitwe that it was regrettable to have leaders of Mr Mpombo’s calibre to represent people in Parliament.[/pullquote]

State House yesterday advised the media in Zambia to be cautious with stories they sourced from disgruntled politicians, which are totally wrong and bent on tarnishing the name of President Banda.

Rev Masupa said Mr Mpombo’s negative comments were bound to scare aware investors and it was unfortunate he had become so desperate that he had joined in misleading the nation on many important issues.

He challenged Zambians to scrutinise some leaders they were voting into office. It was disappointing for Mr Mpombo to resort to telling lies in order to gain cheap popularity.

Copperbelt Ba Ushi Cultural Traditional and Development Association chairperson, Stephen Chitwa said Mr Mpombo was a danger to the Zambian society because of his careless statements.

Mr Chitwa said in Kitwe that it was regrettable to have leaders of Mr Mpombo’s calibre to represent people in Parliament.

[Times of Zambia]

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has challenged Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) to provide evidence that police officers are in the habit of getting bribes from the public.

Reacting to TIZ’s survey that ranked the Zambia Police Service as the most corrupt public institution in Zambia, Gen Shikapwasha said what the non-Governmental organisation was saying was a mere perception which should not be taken seriously by the people.

Gen Shikapwasha said that even late president Levy Mwanawasa told TIZ that they were in a habit of working on perceptions as opposed to providing evidence.
He reiterated Government’s resolve to rid the country of corruption.

Yesterday, TIZ released a report that ranked the Zambia Police Service as the most corrupt, topping the list of public institutions that receive bribes from members of the public.

[pullquote]“The top five public institutions whose officers were demanding the largest bribes are the Zambia Police, at 32.5 per cent, judiciary at 10.5 per cent, ZRA at 6.8 per cent, Ministry of Education at 6.7 per cent and Department of National Registration at 6.3 per cent,” Mr Lifuka said. [/pullquote]

The police service has for the last five years been ranked number one as the most corrupt public institution in the country.

Speaking during the launch of the 2009 Bribe Payers Index in Lusaka yesterday, TIZ president Reuben Lifuka said the top five public institutions whose officers were demanding bribes were the Zambia Police Service, judiciary, Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), Ministry of Education and the Department of National Registration.

“The top five public institutions whose officers were demanding the largest bribes are the Zambia Police, at 32.5 per cent, judiciary at 10.5 per cent, ZRA at 6.8 per cent, Ministry of Education at 6.7 per cent and Department of National Registration at 6.3 per cent,” Mr Lifuka said.

The bribe demands ranged from K101,000 to K500,000.

He said bribes were most prevalent among junior officers in the cited public institutions.

Mr Lifuka said in the 2009 bribe index, 16 Government institutions were analysed while 1,220 respondents were engaged in the survey.

With regard to the Government’s fight against corruption, he said the respondents were asked to state their perception of the current administration in comparison to second Republican president Frederick Chiluba’s and Dr Mwanawasa’s regimes.

Fouty-four per cent indicated that President Rupiah Banda was more serious, 25 per cent said he was less serious, and 31 per cent said that they were just the same.

“Compared to Levy Mwanawasa, 74 per cent of the respondents said Rupiah Banda was less serious while only 16 per cent said he was more serious,” Mr Lifuka said.

He said TIZ would support efforts to strengthen the Anti-Corruption Act to enhance the fight against corruption.