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High Court stops paper
By
Our Reporter - 30-05-2002 |
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High Court judge Dunstan Mwaungulu yesterday granted an order stopping the newly-launched Society Newsletter from publishing any articles containing innuendos or defamatory words against National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leader Brown Mpinganjira.
Mwaungulu said he had granted the order pending an inter-party hearing tomorrow.
Mpinganjira’s lawyer Viva Nyimba said in an interview yesterday the order has been served on the publication’s registered owners: Nomandry C. Mvula, Dalitso T. Mvula, Aubrey Sumbuleta and Paul Kang’ombe, all trading as Society Forum Publications.
The order was also served on Humphrey Chimphando Mvula who, he said, is the purported financier of the publication and printers Mercia Industries.
Nyimba said Mvula was served with the order because documents at the Registrar General’s office also bore his handwriting and signature.
Documents shown to The Nation indicate that Society Forum Publications was registered with a capital of K500,000 to publish the Society Newsletter and Standard newspaper, which is yet to be launched.
Mpinganjira sought the court order and “exemplary and aggravated damages and libel” after the newsletter, which hit the streets two weeks ago selling at K10 per copy, among other things addressed Mpinganjira as a “former corrupt minister” and also said he had turned into an “international beggar.”
Nyimba said his client had suffered injury to his credit and character. He said the applicants have also established that the newsletter had a circulation of 5,000-plus copies and was in some cases being distributed free of charge, which justified his client’s concerns and action. |
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