Court stops Saviour meddling in ZRA business

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 11:37:01 +0000

By CHIKUMBI KATEBE

THE Lusaka High Court has granted an injunction to restrain United Progressive People’s Party president Saviour Chishimba from commenting or making statements and utterances bordering on malicious falsehoods and damage against the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).

High Court Justice Annessie Banda-Bobo granted the injunction yesterday following an application to restrain the opposition party and its agents from causing or making statements on the plaintiff, ZRA.

ZRA on Wednesday commenced legal proceedings against the UPP party leader through its secretary general Alexandersons Lubimbi against ‘‘malicious press statements containing falsehoods and untrue statements’’ which were misleading and injurious to the authority.

“It is ordered and directed that the defendant whether by itself, employees, servants or agents or howsoever otherwise be restrained and an Interlocutory Order of Injunction  is hereby granted restraining them from publishing or broadcasting or causing to be published or broadcast, malicious falsehood words, comments, press statements or utterances bordering on malicious falsehood  and damaging to the plaintiff.

“It is further ordered that the inter parte hearing of this matter shall be heard and determined by the court on the 18th day of April 2017 at 12:00 hours,” the order read.

Among the complaints ZRA submitted in their claim, include allegations of corruption, unethical conduct and lack of integrity when in a press statement the UPP leader alleged that the award of a tender to a Chinese contractor for the “design, supply, delivery, installation, supervision, configuration, testing and commission of an invoicing management system was procured improperly and through underhand methods.

Mr Chishimba has been accused of implying that the tender was ‘‘characterized by bribes and kickbacks with a hallmark of corruption’’ and ZRA has requested for special damages in the value of K100 billion and other reliefs the court may deem fit.