Judgment date set in M’membe case

THE Lusaka High Court has set January 5, as date of judgment in a matter in which five ex-Post Newspaper (in liquidation) employees have asked the court to cite their former editor in chief, Fred M’membe and the Nchito law firm for contempt of court.

The five former workers want Fred M’membe and the Nchito law firm cited for contempt of court over their alleged failure to surrender a catalogue of assets to the liquidator.

The ex-employees and Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) sued the Post, M’membe, and Rowena Zulu who was manager finance at the newspaper for contempt after continuing to masquerade as lawful representatives of the Post Newspapers in liquidation when in fact they were fired. According to an affidavit in support of exparte summons for leave to commence contempt proceedings for committal to prison sworn by the provisional liquidator Lewis Mosho, M’membe and others are alleged not to have not complied with the order of the court after it placed the company under liquidation. The accused are alleged to have continued being in control of the business affairs of the Post Newspaper despite the company being in liquidation. The affidavit further stated the alleged action was intended to undermine, obstruct, ridicule and disregard the authority of the court in winding up the business affairs of the Post. The Five former Post employees are claiming about K875,000 in unpaid emoluments since July 2016 when ZRA moved to take over company assets including trucks, office administrative premises and the printing plant in a bid to recover their dues.