STATE House Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah is demanding an apology from the Daily Nation for alleged defamation of character, failure to which he will commence legal proceedings against the newspaper.
Chellah is citing the newspaper for defamation of character in an article entitled ‘George Chellah insults Daily Nation Official’ published on July 22 this year.
In a letter obtained in Lusaka yesterday and addressed to the Daily Nation managing director by his legal representatives, Sunday Nkonde’s SBN Legal Practitioners, Chellah says the article was on the same day also published online by the newspaper.
The article quotes Chellah as having verbally abused a Daily Nation official, whose name was withheld, for asking whether President Michael Sata had flown out of the country.
“Our client denies abusing or insulting the said unnamed official and/or a fellow media practitioner as alleged or at all. The said allegations against our client, who has been referred to by name throughout the article are false and malicious and constitute serious libel against our client in his person.
“His professional calling and his public office were published without seeking verification from him or being called upon to state his side of the story before publishing the said libelous article,” the letter reads in part.
The letter further says that the offensive article published imputed that Chellah was uncouth, cantankerous, a dangerous person who was not fit to be a media practitioner and a dangerous person who was not fit to hold public office in Zambia, as well as a person capable of committing a criminal offence by harming anybody who crossed his path.
“We, therefore, require yourselves at this stage to publish an apology in your newspaper and online in terms to be approved by us and with the same prominence as the publications complained of and the matter will be closed.
“We expect a favourable response within the next three working days, failure to which our client will be at liberty to institute legal proceedings for damages for the injury to his reputation and for the embarrassment and distress caused to him. We trust you will do the needful and avoid the inevitable legal proceedings for the grave libel against our client,” adds the letter.
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