Tayali stands his grounds over HH

CHILUFYA Tayali has told the Court that his alleged words that Hakainde Hichilema corruptly benefitted from privatisation of state assets were not defamatory but a statement of truth.

He said he uttered words as fair comment on a matter of public interest.

Mr Tayali, who is Economic and Equity Party (EEP) president, said he has conducted an investigation and had documents to back his allegations and denied allegations of defamation.

In this matter, Mr Hichilema has sued Mr Tayali in the Lusaka High Court for alleging that he corruptly benefitted from the privatization programme.

Mr Hichilema, the United Party for National Development (UPND) president, is seeking an injunction to stop Mr Tayali from talking about his role in the privatisation process.

He is seeking damages for libel, aggravated and exemplary damages and an order directing Mr Tayali to retract the defamatory words.

Mr Hichilema said Mr Tayali is a struggling leader of an insignificant political party that attempts to gain its popularity by disparaging him.

Mr Hichilema said he bought the Kalomo from the estate of the late Samson Siatembo through his heirs and assignees as will be demonstrated at trial.

But in his defence filed yesterday in the Lusaka High Court, Mr Tayali said the words uttered were justified and were a fair comment, made in good faith and without malice on a matter of public interest.

He denied that the words were pregnant with innuendo and were calculated to mean in their natural and ordinary meaning as ascribed to by Mr Hichilema.

Mr Tayali contend that he will at trial show that there is no law requiring that an individual must make reports to law enforcement agencies in confidence.

He argued that he is not a struggling leader of an insignificant party seeking to gain popularity by disparaging the UPND leader but that he is a concerned citizen on a matter of public interest.

The EEP leader justified his statement as fair comment.