Maravi

The Judiciary is being laughed at - Fr Bwalya

The Judiciary is being laughed at - Fr Bwalya
By George Chellah
Wed 19 Jan. 2011, 04:02 CAT

FR Frank Bwalya has said the Judiciary is now a subject of laughter and mockery among Zambians due to its conduct.

Commenting on the Judiciary's press statement reacting to The Post's story on Tedworth Properties Incorporated, a company registered in Panama which Frederick Chiluba used to acquire properties in Lusaka, Fr Bwalya, who is Change Life Zambia executive director, said the Judiciary should do everything possible to avoid entangling itself in political engineering.

"Of late, there has been a lot of attacks on the Judiciary and the Judiciary has complained against these attacks and they have called them unwarranted," Fr Bwalya said. "What they forget is that it’s conduct such as this one over The Post’s revelation which makes people in Zambia look at the judiciary as compromised."

Fr Bwalya said the best way for the Judiciary to clean up its name was to always act in a professional, autonomous and just manner.

"If The Post newspaper had not informed the Zambian people that Tedworth Properties Incorporated was a shell company that Chiluba used to buy properties in Zambia in a clearly criminal way, then Chiluba would have succeeded in using this company to shield himself," Fr Bwalya said.

He condemned threats of contempt on people analysing court judgments.

"You cannot threaten the Zambian people anymore with such kind of threats because the Zambian people know that these people are just issuing threats to protect what is wrong. When you issue a threat to protect what is right, the people take the threats seriously," Fr Bwalya said.

"But in this case, everyone is just laughing at them Judiciary because they have not been given power to defend what is wrong. Everyone is laughing and mocking them."

Fr Bwalya expressed doubts on the possibility of the Judiciary sorting out its current problems.

"It seems to me that the Judiciary will not get out of these problems," said Fr Bwalya.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Judiciary of Zambia public relations officer Terry Musonda described The Post's story on Tedsworth Inc as very malicious, contemptuous and pre-judicial.

Musonda said former President Chiluba was not a party to any court proceedings before Lusaka High Court judge Phillip Musonda.

Labels: FRANK BWALYA, JUDICIARY

posted by MrK @ 4:46 AM