NAPSA Sues News Diggers And Milupi
Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) president Charles Milupi and News Diggers Media Limited have been sued by NAPSA claiming damages for libel after they accused the institution of corruption in the awarding of a contract to AVIC for its River View project.
NAPSA is asking the Lusaka High Court to order Mr. Milupi and News Digger Media Limited to award it damages for malicious falsehood. It also wants the court to grant it an injunction to restrain the defendants whether by themselves, servants, agents or otherwise from publishing or causing to be published the said words or any similar words.
NAPSA is further claiming interest on all sums found to be due, legal costs and any other relief the court may deem fit.
In a statement of claim filed in the principal registry today, NAPSA stated that Milupi was an individual and president of ADD.
NAPSA stated in its claim that its principal objective is the collection of monthly contributions from the labour force and investing contributions in viable projects to grow the fund.
One of the projects the Authority had resolved to invest in was the Twin Palm River View Park Infrastructure Development (River View Park) in the East of Lusaka and it had invited the public to submit bids to undertake the development of the project.
AVIC International Limited, a Chinese company, was one of the companies that submitted bids and because of its proven record in the construction industry in Zambia, NAPSA awarded it the contract at a bid cost of US$25.8 million.
NAPSA stated that between June 23, 2019 and June 29, 2019, Milupi issued a statement which News Diggers Media Limited published in relation to the plaintiff’s award of the contract which was awarded to AVIC and alleged corruption and mismanagement of members’ funds against NAPSA.
It stated that in their natural and ordinary meaning, the words contained in the publication meant and were understood to mean that NAPSA corruptly awarded the tender to develop River View Park to AVIC.
NAPSA stated that the words contained in the publication were false, published maliciously, and were calculated to cause and did in fact cause damage to its integrity as well as business.
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