Maravi

Sondashi urges govt to register London judgment

Sondashi urges govt to register London judgment
By Allan Mulenga
Tue 05 Feb. 2013, 15:20 CAT

DR Ludwig Sondashi says the government should not sidetrack on the registration of the London judgment. "Our party would ensure that the judgment is registered so that we can get what was stolen from Zambians by the late president Frederick Chiluba. There is no beating about the bush," he said.

Dr Sondashi was commenting on justice minister Wynter Kabimba's statement that the 2007 London High Court judgment was not a dead issue.

Dr Sondashi, who is president of the Forum for Democratic Alternative (FDA), said there was no turning back by the government as the judgment was exhaustive.

"The Minister of Justice, Wynter Kabimba, is saying that 'they are still studying the London judgment'. The London judgment happened a long time ago. The country up to now cannot be studying the London judgment. Everybody knows what was written in the London judgment and the judgment was very exhaustive," he said.

Dr Sondashi said the government should be seen to be serious by registering the London judgment because it was one of the campaign promises.

"It is now over 90 days in which they said they will register the judgment. The London judgment must be registered urgently," he said.

"They must not sidetrack on the registration of the London judgment. They should fulfil what they promised the nation," said Dr Sondashi.

Recently, veteran politician Simon Zukas said Zambians should not ignore the registration of the London High Court judgment against Chiluba which the Rupiah Banda regime blocked.

He said although the main culprit in the matter was deceased, Zambians should not allow the assets that were acquired in the process to continually be enjoyed by the culprit's associates.

In May 2007, the London High Court found Chiluba liable to defrauding Zambians of over US$49 million mostly spent on personal items such as designer clothes.
The evidence in that case included more than 100 pairs of size six shoes, many of them monogrammed, and scores of designer suits bought from Boutique Basile in Geneva, where Chiluba spent more than £300,000, sometimes paid in suitcases full of banknotes.

British judge Smith ordered Chiluba to repay £23 million to the Zambian government.

But the Banda regime frustrated the registration of the judgment in Zambia.

Labels: COURTS, FREDERICK CHILUBA, LUDWIG SONDASHI, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 4:02 PM