FAZ, Kashala slapped with K5m legal bill

By MUKWIMA CHILALA and GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
LAWYERS representing Damiano Mutale and Patson Lusaka in a case in which the duo have sued Adrian Kashala in his capacity as FAZ general secretary and the association as an institution are demanding that the association pay them K5 million as costs within seven days .
Following the preliminary award with costs in the Ndola High Court on March 31, 2020,the law firm, Nathan Lewis and Co has pegged its costs at K5 million and asked FAZ to pay within one week or face sanctions.
The letter, which was accessed by the Daily Nation has since been served on the lawyers representing FAZ.
“Further to the ruling of the High Court at Ndola dated 31 March, 2020 in which the Court awarded us costs to be taxed in default of agreement, we now hereby peg combined cost against the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) at K5 million (5, 000, 000.00),” read the letter.
We advise that should we not receive the payment within seven days from date thereof we shall proceed to have the same taxed and invoke available options to recover the same.
Mutale and Lusaka had sued Kashala as general secretary and FAZ as an institution in the Ndola High Court in relation to the electoral process in which the duo was seeking that the process be halted, a matter which has now been referred to the Constitutional Court for interpretation.
Meanwhile, a lawyer, Gilbert Phiri has warned that FIFA representative Veron Omba-Masanga faces arrest should he attend the Emergency General Meeting (EGM) called to iron out the various misunderstandings in FAZ.
Phiri, who has been representing Kalusha Bwalya, Mutale and Lusaka, said in an interview that FIFA should send a disinterested party to observe the proceedings of the meeting.
He said his clients could not trust the integrity of Omba-Masengo, the FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer, who had encouraged FAZ to disregard the High Court order to stay the election process.
“The FIFA representative cannot chair meeting because FIFA have taken sides in the issue at hand. So, a conflicted or interested party cannot chair a meeting to the satisfaction of all the parties,”
“If the FIFA representative coming for the consultative meeting is Veron Omba-Masengo, he will face possible arrest for actively encouraging FAZ to defy a court order. He cannot get away with lawlessness. In this regard, FIFA is advised to send a disinterested party who will simply observe the proceedings,” Phiri said.
He said his clients will not accept a FIFA representative to chair the meeting as they have taken sides.
Sports Minister Emmanuel Mulenga over a week ago announced the hosting of the EGM to resolve the issues affecting the game while FIFA earlier confirmed a representative will travel to Zambia after Covid-19 to meet all stakeholders over the wrangles.