By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
Kwacha Constituency Member of Parliament Joseph Malanji has sued Kwacha Constituency United Party for National Development (UPND) losing candidate Charles Abel Mulenga demanding compensation for defamation of character.
Mr Malanji is demanding exemplary damages and an order for an injunction restraining the defendant Mr Mulenga and whosoever might be acting on his behalf from making statements that are defamatory about the plaintiff.
This is according to a writ of summons dated January 18, 2022, and filed in the High Court of Zambia, at the principal registry holder at Lusaka, by the plaintiff Mr Malanji.
“On or about June 2, 2021, whilst addressing a rally at Chisokone Market in Kitwe district on the Copperbelt, the defendant falsely and maliciously issued the following defamatory statement in reference to the plaintiff ‘Mr Joseph Malanji forged a grade 12 School Certificate and used the forged Certificate for the nomination exercise with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)’, ” reads part of the statement of claim.
Mr Malanji said the above statement was repeatedly made to people at different political gatherings, meetings and rallies where the defendant was always the host speaker.
And, the Zambia Police Kitwe District Criminal Investigations Office in collaboration with the Examination Council of Zambia on December, 22, 2021, cleared Mr Malanji on allegations of forgery and uttering of Grade 12 Certificate.
In his report, Zambia Police Kitwe District Criminal Investigations Officer Peter Bwalya said that Mr Malanji voluntarily produced the grade 12 results to the Police who subjected the same for verification with Examination Council of Zambia.
“On November 27, 2021, at 12:30hrs, Kitwe Central Police Station received a report from Charles Abel Mulenga 57 of House Number 44kk3 Jambo Drive Kitwe. He reported that Mr Malanji abused the electoral process by presenting a forged grade 12 Certificate for adoption as he claimed that he was very aware that he has no grade 12 Certificate,” he said.
