A ZRA employee, Mulopa Kaunda has gone for former Zambia’s ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba and the Daily Nation, demanding that the duo fork out K20 million each for misleading the public that he purchased a Toyota Hilux from his employer and gifted it to Lusaka Archdiocese Bishop Grace Alick Banda.
Kaunda has given Mwamba and the media house three days in which to retract the malicious falsehoods and render a public apology failure to which he will institute legal proceedings against them.
In separate letters of demand with similar wording, served on the two parties by Mulopa’s lawyers of Messers Malisa and Partners Legal Practitioners dated September 23, 2024, the ZRA employee said, the false articles published by Mwamba and Daily Nation are capable of damaging his relationship with his employer.
In attempts to discredit evidence before the Economic and Financial Crimes Court that his Grace Archbishop Banda was a beneficiary of a vehicle that was illegally disposed of, Mwamba on September 13, 2024 published an article on his Facebook page ‘Emmanuel Mwamba’ titled “Toyota Hilux was sold to a staff member, ZRA records show.”
Mwamba in attempts to clear the clerics name, conducted separate proceedings alongside the court case before the EFCC where former top ZRA officials Kingsley Chanda and Calistus Kaoma are being prosecuted for failing to follow procedure in the manner they disposed of 22 vehicles belonging to the Revenue Authority.
He alleged that Kaunda bought the Hilux and gifted it to the priest.
“The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) sold the vehicle, Toyota Hilux, blue in colour, on staff auction to a staff member Mulopa Kaunda.
ZRA records of sale and gate pass show that the vehicle was sold for K50,000 cash on 17th November 2020 and collected on 20th November 2020 by Mr. Mulopa Kaunda…”
And Daily Nation editor Banabas Zulu is also alleged to have authored an article purporting that Kaunda purchased the vehicle on the front page of Vol.10 Issue No. 4,144 dated the September 14, 2024 titled “ZRA EMPLOYEE BOUGHT VEHICLE BEING USED TO MALIGN ARCHBISHOP BANDA”
The said article reads; “.documents reveal that a Mr. Mulopa Kaunda a ZRA employe bought
Toyota Hilux registration number ALF 7734, Blue in colour. The Toyota Hilux vehicle being used to demonise, scandalise and nihilistically malign His Grace, Archbishop Dr Alick Banda was in fact bought by a Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA ) employe who later gifted it to the Archbishop of Lusaka, documents bave revealed.
According to documents from ZRA, which include a receipt and gate pass, the vehicle in question, a Toyota Hilux registration number ALF 734, blue in colour, was gifted to Archbishop Dr Banda Who was in Europe…”
Zulu, alleged that Kaunda purchased and collected the motor vehicle on the 17th and 20th of November 2020 from ZRA at K50,000.00.
“Our Client contends that further to the above, you authored and published the said
article following a wide media circulation of allegations that the subject motor vehicle was suspiciously given to his holiness Archbishop Alick Banda and was ultimately seized by Drug Enforcement Commission,”the demand letters read.
Kaunda contended that he has served in the institution for a good number of years with an impeccable record of good character, and has upheld high levels of professionalism and integrity in line with the ethical standards ZRA expects and maintains among all its employees.
According to Kaunda; he did not purchase the vehicle in question, neither did he gift it to Archbishop Alick Banda nor was he involved in the said deal.
Kaunda said he was not contacted by the duo to get his side of the story but, they proceeded to publish falsehoods without taking into consideration his reputation, which he deems to be malicious and libelous, intended to ruin his relationship with his employer.
He said the words imply that he dubiously acquired the motor vehicle in question and gifted it to the Archbishop, which falls below the standard of conduct and ethics expected of him.
Kaunda said the malicious falsehoods tends to lower him in the estimation of right thinking members of society and his employer, thereby bringing his name into ridicule.
“In this regard, our Client instructs us, which we hereby do, to demand the folowing: That you retract the said article and render an unequivocal public apology within 48 hours of receipt of this letter; and Payment of ZMW 20,000,000 being damages for libellous and malicious publication,” read the letters of demand.
“Our Client remains desirous to settle this matter amicably, however, should we not hear from you within 3 days of your receipt of this letter, we have instructions to seek legal redress for libel, without further recourse to yourselves by whom the attendant costs shall be borne.”
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba September 25, 2024.
