Maravi

I am ready to appear before court - Prof Ndulo

COMMENT - On the usually shallow BBC
coverage of African issues.

I am ready to appear before court - Prof Ndulo
Written by Malama Kennedy
Tuesday, September 01, 2009 10:34:46 PM

United States-based University of Cornell Professor of Law Muna Ndulo has said he is ready to travel and appear before chief resident magistrate Charles Kafunda in a matter of contempt over the article he recently wrote on the ongoing trial of Post news editor Chansa Kabwela. And Prof Ndulo said the case in which Chansa stood charged for allegedly distributing obscene materials had damaged Zambia's reputation internationally.

In an interview with BBC's Focus on Africa, Prof Ndulo said once court summons were served on him, he would travel to attend the proceedings.

And in an interview with The Post, Prof Ndulo said: "I'm here [in the US], so legally the court has no jurisdiction. Once I receive the summons, I'll come [to Zambia]. I'm not afraid. In a country with high poverty levels, I think it was wrong for the government to instruct the police to investigate that matter, spending thousands of kwacha and spending so much time".

And Committeee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) executive director Joel Simon said summoning an entire editorial staff over an opinion piece exposes the absurd lengths authorities are going to harass The Post.

"With each judicial action, Zambian authorities make this into a bigger story worldwide."

Prof Ndulo is an authority on African legal systems, human rights, constitutions, election monitoring, international development and legal aspects of foreign investments in developing countries. After receiving his LL.B. from University of Zambia and LL.M. from Harvard Law School, Prof Ndulo was a public prosecutor for Zambia's Ministry of Legal Affairs. He was also Dean of University of Zambia School of Law and from 1986 to 1996 served the United Nations Commission for International Trade Law. From 1992 to 1994, he was political adviser to the UN Mission in South Africa.

Prof Ndulo joined Cornell Law School's faculty in 1996 and has continued to advise UN Missions in East Timor and Kosovo. He teaches international organisations and human rights institutions; the legal aspects of foreign investment in developing countries; and the common law and African legal systems. He is also director of Cornell University's Institute for African Development.

Labels: CHANSA KABWELA, MUNA NDULO, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 9:37 PM