DESPITE having challenges to round up five Hamasakas to aid her defense, songstress Saboi Imboela now has to deal with the stress of finding new lawyers to defend her libel case and save her from trouble.
Saboi who seems to have slit up with Makebi Zulu’s junior lawyers Emmanuel Phiri and Melisa Phiri, pleaded with principal resident magistrate Sylvia Munyinya to adjourn her case and allow her engage new lawyers.
“I would like to be given some time to change counsel,” she said.
Saboi’s application was met with opposition from State advocate Lewis Kandele who argued that her lawyers did not file a notice of withdrawal in accordance with procedure.
“From the time the matter came up, the accused knew that she was supposed to proceed with defence. If there were unresolved issues with her counsel, she should have put her house in order on time,”Kandele said.
“She has not informed court why she wants to change counsel at the eleventh hour. This is a mere ploy to delay this matter. We last had a defence witness on stand on 22 February, 2024. And today is the 20th of May and this court is being asked for an adjournment.”
He said Saboi was not utilising Judicial time effectively as she was perpetually asking for adjournments and wasting the Court’s time.
In response Saboi said not all adjournments were occasioned at her instance.
“None of the adjournments were caused by me. It is in my best interest that the matter be concluded as soon as possible. For the reasons as to why am changing counsel, if the court asks, am ready to give the reasons. I feel I need to be given the right to get new counsel,” she said.
Kandele maintained that Saboi did not given concrete reasons for the Court to grant the adjournment.
“She has to be reminded that adjournments are at the discretion of the Court and it’s the duty of parties to pursuade Court to grant the application and by what she had indicated, she has not exhibited anything for this court to grant the application,”said Kandele.
“Our contention is that she had all the time. Why should she wakeup today and ask that she needs more time. She has not demonstrated that she needs to be given more time, hence our objection.
Magistrate Munyinya ruled that she would adjourn the matter to June 12 in the interest of Justice.
In this case Saboi is facing two counts of libel for alleging that State House Chief Communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka was corrupt and that he was at the verge of being divorced by his wife for his promiscuity.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba May 21, 2024.
