Maravi

Sata sues Teta for libel

Sata sues Teta for libel
Written by George Chellah
Thursday, May 28, 2009 2:53:32 PM

OPPOSITION Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has instructed his lawyers to take legal action against MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba for alleging that one of the suspects in the Ministry of Health K 10 billion scam Henry Kapoko funded his campaigns.

According to a letter dated May 27, 2009 to his lawyer Bonaventure Mutale SC of Ellis and Company, Sata instructed his lawyers to take legal action of libel and defamation against Tetamashimba.

"Please find enclosed herewith a wild statement by Tetamshimba spokesperson for the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD). Mr. Henry Kapoko is not my nephew and there is no relationship whatsoever with me," read Sata's letter in part. "I personally or the party did not receive any money from Henry Kapoko. Henry Kapoko has never given any T/shirts or chitenge materials to me personally or to the party in general.

"Henry Kapoko has never funded the Patriotic Front campaigns at any time since the party was formed. Tetamashimba must reveal the names of civil servants who are stealing money from government to fund the Patriotic Front. We are instructing you to take legal action of libel and defamation against Tetamashimba."

And in a letter to Tetamashimba dated May 27, 2009, Sata's lawyers Ellis and Company demanded for a retraction and apology.

"We have been retained by Mr. Sata and the Patriotic Front in connection with the above article which has been published on the Internet by Zambia Watchdog. We attach hereto a copy of the said article. We advise that our instructions are that all the allegations in the article are false and malicious. Mr. Sata is not related to Mr. Henry Kapoko," read the letter in part. "The Patriotic Front has not had any dealings with Mr. Kapoko. The Patriotic Front has also not received any monetary or material support from Mr. Kapoko. Our clients have in the circumstances instructed us to demand a retraction of this story and for your unequivocal apology.

"We must have your response in the course of the next seven days, failure to which we have instructions to commence action for libel without further notice."

According to the story on the Zambia Watchdog online edition, Tetamashimba accused PF of having taken part in looting the K10 billion alleged to have been stolen from the Ministry of Health.

Tetamashimba is quoted to have alleged that part of the money looted from the Ministry of Health was used by PF during the last presidential bye-election campaign.

He is further quoted to have alleged that Sata received a share from the K10 billion looted from the Ministry of Health through Henry Kapoko whom he said is Sata's nephew.

He alleged that Sata had no moral right to call for President Banda's resignation on allegation that donors had withheld funding to the ministry of health because his nephew was part to the people that looted money.

"We have information that Sata used part of the K 10 billion stolen from the Ministry of Health. Sata got this money from his nephew Henry Kapoka and was used for campaign during the just ended president by elections," Tetamashimba is quoted in part. "I challenge him to deny if Henry Kapoko is not his nephew because everybody knows that that boy (Kapoko) is his nephew."

Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, COURTS, SATA

posted by MrK @ 1:56 PM