Disband ‘dead’ LAZ now

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 13:38:14 +0000

By BENNIE MUNDANDO

IT IS retrogressive and professional immorality of the worst kind for the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to remain silent when Judge Sunday Nkonde and other judges are being attacked every day by the UPND and Fred M’membe the Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) President Mr. Wright Musoma has said.

“It is clear to the whole nation that judge Nkonde is being attacked because he is presiding over the Development Bank of Zambia (DbZ) fraud and the dissolution of the Post Newspaper.” He revealed.

The cartel, he said, wanted the two cases handled by a more ‘compliant’ judge to whom terms could be dictated.

“This is unacceptable.  The cartel should not be allowed to dictate terms to the judiciary over who should preside over cases.  This cartel has done more harm to this country which must be stopped and these attacks must be condemned in the strongest sense including censure or court action where it is fitting.”

Lawyers, he said, must wake up to the reality that LAZ should be disbanded because it failed in its duty to offer leadership.

Judge Nkonde he said must be allowed to preside over the two cases without any intimidation from any quarter because he is not the one who dictated to the cartel to contract loans fraudulently or fiddle their taxes.

“Fred M’membe and his friends hounded innocent people, dragging them to courts on flimsy charges and he should be last person to dictate terms because he has no capacity, right or legal standing to do so.”

Time has come for all lawyers to stand up and disband the current LAZ Executive which is biased and is only responsive when it is the Patriotic Front that makes statements.

Mr. Musoma wondered which institution would protect judges if the association to which they were affiliated turned a blind eye to the mudslinging and innuendos they been receiving from individuals who expected legal favours from them.

“A newspaper with clear interest to protect has been allowed to campaign against Judge Sunday Nkonde who cannot speak out and defend himself,” Mr. Musoma said.

He said LAZ had become a branch of the UPND as top officials in the association were compromised, and were paying homage to the UPND, by failing to remain objective in their execution of duties but blinded by political loyalty.

He said it was shocking that the same LAZ that “trumpeted” its displeasure over a fair comment from President Edgar Lungu’s special assistant for press and public relations, Amos Chanda over petition results had gone into deep sleep simply because judges’ attacks from Mr. Hichilema served their interests.  “Where is Linda Kasonde and her team? Bali ndwii because it is Mr. Hichilema who is attacking the judiciary but when Mr. Chanda made a fair comment on election petition results, they were all over accusing government of intimidating the judiciary but what is the difference now?

“Who then will protect these judges if the only association to which they belong is playing double standards? When we say LAZ has become a branch of the UPND, they always deny it but what justification do they have now for their actions? Ms. Kasonde and her top brass should resign from that institution or they will plunge it into an ocean of unprofessionalism,” he said.