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High Court awards Post editor K40m for defamation

High Court awards Post editor K40m for defamation
By Noel Sichalwe
Wednesday March 07, 2007 [02:05]

LUSAKA High Court judge Anthony Nyangulu yesterday awarded Post editor-in-chief Fred M'membe K40 million damages for defamation. Judge Nyangulu ordered Weekly Angel Newspaper and Federal Democratic Party president Alfred Sayila to pay M'membe K20 million as general damages and another K20 million as exemplary or aggravated damages. This was a matter in which M’membe had sued the Weekly Angel Newspaper and Sayila for defamation.

The alleged defamatory article was published in the December 13 - 19, 2004 of the Weekly Angel and later repeated in the July 4 - 11, 2005 edition. Part of the defamatory statement read: “We have been told of an editor of some independent newspaper who has received huge bribes from a former leading political figure in this country in order to make good mention of him so as to regain his former political glory. The newspaper has actually made itself into a public relations arm of the old political leader who is ably using it as a propaganda tool.”

Delivering the judgment, judge Nyangulu said the defendants failed to put up a strong defence apart from stating that the article was not referring to M’membe. “...the defendants offered no apology and told obvious lies on oath. He showed contumelious disregard for the plaintiff’s right. Collectively the defendants’ conduct was certainly wilful and reckless,” said judge Nyangulu.

Labels: FRED M'MEMBE, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 6:26 AM