A former minister in the Chiluba administration, Sonny Mulenga, has accused Fred M’membe’s Post Newspaper of dragging the wheels of justice where he has sued claiming K1.2 billion for defamation.
Mulenga has complained that since October 2010, the Post Newspapers have been seeking adjournments until now to avoid paying the libel damages.
“You see these people falsely accused me that I stole US $50 million but I have never been charged for any abuse or theft offences. They have to pay for their irresponsible reporting but they are trying to dodge the course of justice that they, themselves promote.
“I would like to be cleared because those allegations were aimed at damaging my reputation. I might need to contest as president in my own right or join a political party. How are people going to view me when I am accused of stealing US $50 million?”
Mulenga said the Post Newspaper did not want to go to court because of fearing to lose a case. He challenged M’membe’s Post Newspaper to state why they kept adjourning a matter which was straight forward.
“What kind of justice is the Post Newspaper promoting? Is it a question of a pen being mightier than a sword? They use the pen to destroy people’s reputation but are afraid to pay for their irresponsible usage of the pen,” he said.
The Post Newspaper published the alleged defamatory article on July 25, 2010 alleging Mulenga had stolen US $50 million. Mulenga has argued the article was untrue and meant to disparage his reputation and character in the right thinking members of society.
But the Post Newspapers contended that the article was published as a fair comment on a matter of public interest without any malice implied.