By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
LAWYER Tutwa Ngulube has sued a Kabwe-based senior Police Officer for libel for alleging that he used public resources to construct Golden Sonnets Hotel.
Mr Ngulube, who is a managing director of Golden Sonnets Hotel, states that Mr Rodrick Mazyopa published false, biased and misleading statements on Facebook on July 2, 2022.
The post read, “Can DEC act to engage auditors to determine the cost of building Sonnets Hotel in Kabwe, this hotel was built at supersonic speed. We have a right to know how much it was built and where did the money come from?”
Mr Ngulube, a former Kabwe Central Member of Parliament, contends that the statement meant that he was a criminal who misappropriated public resources to facilitate the construction of the hotel in the shortest period.
He states that in a demand letter dated September 9, 2022 addressed to the Attorney General, he asked for a payment of K5 million for loss of business due to the published defamatory statement by a state agent, but the response was that Mr Mazyopa would bear the costs for damages.
Mr Ngulube laments that the hotel has suffered loss of business due to the said malicious statement.
He is therefore demanding damages for malicious falsehoods, libel and interest on any sums awarded from the date of the writ to the date of full settlement.
