Fri, 03 Mar 2017 10:41:14 +0000
…Lusaka lawyer says current LAZ leadership uninspiring
By CHARLES MUSONDA
THE Linda Kasonde-led Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) leadership is uninspiring because it is clearly peddling sectional interests of the ‘‘cartel’’ and the opposition on issues of national interest, a senior lawyer has protested.
The lawyer, Hobday Kabwe, has demanded that LAZ gives solid compelling grounds for engaging counsels to defend Nchima Nchito in his impersonation case because the association chose to remain mute when the Lovemore Chikopa tribunal was instituted to probe judges Charles Kajimanga and Nigel Mutuna over alleged professional misconduct.
He said LAZ was expected to be impartial and to defend any member of the legal fraternity who came under attack.
“There is already an existing precedent in the case of Judge Kajimanga and Judge Mutuna where the Law Association of Zambia took a rather lukewarm stance by not joining to defend these constitutional office holders.
“What grounds have compelled the current leadership of LAZ to take a stance of defending individuals who are not constitutional office holders? If you are talking of strengthening democracy by participating in matters of public
interest, you have to defend institutions that assist to cement democracy such as the Judiciary,” the lawyer said.
He noted that the same shadowy cartel, which LAZ was now defending, was in the forefront of attacking the judges but the association remained mute under the guise of taking a neutral stance.
“What has activated the current LAZ leadership to pretend that they can defend individuals who are not constitutional office holders? There is nothing they can say they are pursuing to strengthen democracy by defending individuals who are part and parcel of the cartel.
‘‘This is why they should be viewed as being biased because they are peddling sectional interests of the cartel.
“The precedent is there because Judge Kajimanga and Judge Mutuna were not defended by LAZ and they had to hire private lawyers to represent them in court. This is what is making people lose faith in the Law Association of Zambia and we are saying the current LAZ leadership is uninspiring,” he said.
The Lovemore Chikopa Tribunal was set up in April 2012 by President Michael Sata following a complaint by Post Newspaper (in liquidation) proprietor Fred M’membe and Mutembo Nchito.
The two alleged that Judges Mutuna, Kajimanga and then Supreme Court judge Philip Musonda misconducted themselves over the handling of the case between Development Bank of Zambia and the defunct Zambian Airways (where they are shareholders) over debts owed to DBZ.
