THE battle for Geoffrey Hambulo’s estate has moved from the High Court into the Magistrate court where FDD president Edith Nawakwi has pleaded not guilty to the charge of intermeddling with the affairs of her late husband’s property.
In the High Court Ms Nakwakwi who produced a will, sued her step-children, Mulundu and Mweemba Hambulo, seeking an injunction restraining them from acting as administrators of the estate.
Particulars in the new matter are that Ms Nawakwi, 62, of Plot number 54, Luwato road Roma, Lusaka, is allegedly intermeddling contrary to section 14 of the Intestate Succession Act chapter 59 of the laws of Zambia.
Ms Nawakwi yesterday appeared in the Lusaka Magistrate court before Magistrate Nthandose Chabala and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
When magistrate Chabala read the charge to her, she said she understood and pleaded not guilty. Particulars of the offence are that Nawakwi on dates unknown but between December 2021 and January 2022 did move a planter (John Deer), Sherrer; Folk lifter; cutter and Baileigh which properties form part of the estate of the late Geoffery Hambulo to her farm in Chisamba.
It is also alleged that on dates unknown but between January 12, 2022 and January 25 she declined to handover keys to properties forming part of the estates.
It is further alleged that Nawakwi on dates unknown but between January 12, 2022 and January, 25 2022 has continued to tell people who are supposed to handover property forming part of the estate and tenant renting flats at plot No 54, Luwato Road, in Roma Lusaka to ignore the letters of administration issued by the high court Zambia labelling them as fake so that she can collect the same.
It is also alleged that on dates unknown between January 12, 2022 and January 25, 2022, Nawakwi has continued to claim the deceased’s farm as her own and threatening the administrator herein using insulting language.
Nawakwi is being represented by her Lawyer Chifumu Banda.
However, Magistrate Chabala set March 21, 2022 for mention and April 1 for continuation of trial.
In another matter, Ms Nawakai has sued in the Lusaka High Court her step-children, Mulundu and Mweemba Hambulo, seeking an injunction restraining them from acting as administrators of the estate.
She stated that her husband who died on December 5, 2021, due to complications from prostate cancer left a will. She seeks an order to revoke the letters of administration of the estate of her late husband granted to the step-children. The applicant is seeking an order to deem the document dated April 20, 2018 and its subsequent amendment made in November 2020 as the will left by her late husband.
In the alternative, the court orders that Mr Hambulo died intestate and the provisions of the Intestate Succession Act Chapter 59 of the laws of Zambia should apply and Ms Nawakwi should be the administrator.
However, in a document opposing Ms Nawakawi’s application for an interim injunction, Mulundu disputed claims by the applicant that a Will was found on their father’s laptop. He instead stated that it was the husband of their step-mother’s friend, a Mr Mugala, who mentioned at the burial church service that their father had left an unfinished Will.
Ms Nawakwi in the last court appearance produced her marriage certificate showing that she and Mr Hambulo got married at St Ignatius Catholic Church in 2014, contrary to assertions from the step children that she had been co-habiting with their father.
