Chihana seeks K200m from DPP
Yeremiah Chihana, valuer of the estate of former Malawi president the late Bingu wa Mutharika, is demanding a combined compensation of up to K200 million (about $500 000) from both opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its spokesperson Nicholas Dausi for defamation.
The demand follows remarks Dausi authored last Thursday which, in the eyes of Chihana’s lawyer Wapona Kita, insinuated that Chihana is a liar and malicious.
During a press conference in the capital, Lilongwe last week, Dausi read a DPP statement which, among others, stated that Chihana’s valuing of Mutharika’s property as worth K61 billion (about $152m), was guided by anger and malice against Mutharika to settle a political score.
The statement was titled “Calculated Attempts to Discredit the late president Bingu wa Mutharika and the Democratic Progressive Party”.
Dausi’s statement said Chihana’s action was aimed to “prosecute and convict the deceased Bingu in the media”.
He said: “It is an unfortunate and unfair political game. The final goal of the exercise is to weaken and disable the Honourable Professor Peter Mutharika and the DPP.”
Peter Mutharika is DPP presidential candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections.
According to DPP, Chihana was bitter with Bingu because it was during the former president’s rule that he was tried and convicted of assault which resulted in his losing a parliamentary seat.
“No one can fail to see that under such circumstances, Mr. Yeremiah Chihana must have been very bitter against late president Professor Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika and the DPP. This bitterness is now being directed at the family after Bingu’s death. The figure K61 billion is purely factitious,” said Dausi.
Kita said the statement “has lowered our client’s esteem in the minds of well-meaning citizens.”
In a letter addressed to Dausi and DPP registered trustees, Kita also says Dausi’s remarks that “our [DPP’s] conclusion, therefore, is that the affidavit he swore is based on fictitious facts. It is false, callous and malicious” puts Chihana as a person who lied under oath.
“It is only the courts that can declare if someone lied under oath,” said Kita in a separate interview.
Chihana is also demanding that Dausi and DPP retract the statement and apologise in public within 72 hours from on Wednesday.
Dausi in an interview on on Wednesday said: “We have not received the letter, but it will be good if he sues because the truth will be known. [Chihana] has to explain to the nation with evidence that he was authorised to get into Bingu’s estate. It is not about politics.”
Chihana was hired by government to assess Mutharika’s estate.
What are these so called Honourable from both sides fighting for? Instead of engaging themselves in developmental activities in their respective constituencies they are busy fighting each other. No wonder they wil all lose in next year’s elections.
with this malawi can not develop,lets learn to focus on developmental issues
But Chihana, who should sue who. It is not about oath, it is about whether what you confessed on oath was true. Mwatumidwa, so how did you come up with 200million. Can you produce it yourself if it is vice-versa. Munthu wotumidwa, omvetsa chisoni. So after you have 200million what is it?
a dalph umbuli ukuvutani eti?200million yo ndi yoti amuonongela dzina,yomwe pa chingelezi amati”defamation”ndiye osamangoti fwe fwe kumayankhula za mamina musakudziwa china chili chonse.pantumbo pako!pamodzi ndi pitala wakoyo asaaaaa!