PRESIDENT Sata receives an affidavit of oath from Industrial Relations Court deputy chairperson judge Winnie Mwenda during the swearing-in ceremony at State House yesterday. In the background are acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda, Minister of Defence Edgar Lungu and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Mwansa Kapeya. – Picture THOMAS NSAMA.
By YANDE SYAMPEYO
THE tribunal appointed to probe Minister of Justice Wynter Kabimba’s alleged professional misconduct has handed over its findings to President Sata.
Tribunal chairperson Evans Hamaundu, who is acting Supreme Court judge, handed over the report to Mr Sata at State House yesterday.
President Sata thanked the tribunal for the report, adding that he will study it.
“Thank you very much. First of all, I want to thank madam Chief Justice for this tribunal. We are going to see what is in this report. You are giving us the job of judges. They [judges] are the ones who read thick books,” President Sata said.
“But all the same, we will invite Madam Patricia Jere [ministry of Justice permanent secretary] to assist us,” Mr Sata said.
And President Sata said it is obvious that the country will produce a people-driven constitution.
The President jokingly wondered if there is any country in the world that has ever produced an “animal-driven constitution”.
He said the debate on whether the constitution will be people- driven or not is unnecessary.
“You ask the most learned women here. Madam [Justice Chibesakunda] where do you have animal-driven constitution? Have we ever had an animal-driven constitution in any country,” he jovially asked.
Earlier, President Sata swore in four judges as deputy chairpersons of the Industrial Relations Court.
These are Martin Musaluke, Mathew Chisunka, Egispo Mwansa and Winnie Mwenda.
President Sata instructed the setting up of a tribunal to probe Mr Kabimba after former Solwezi Central MMD MP Lucky Mulusa and political activist Brebner Changala petitioned Justice Chibesakunda to set up a tribunal to probe the justice minister.
Mr Mulusa, who lost his seat through Supreme Court nullification owing to corruption, and Mr Changala demanded that Mr Kabimba explains why he had copied Justice Chibesakunda Government’s legal opinion offered to him in his capacity as Justice minister by Solicitor General Musa Mwenye on the nullification of the Petauke Central, Malambo and Mulobezi parliamentary seats by the Supreme Court.
In a letter dated December 24, 2013 addressed to Justice Chibesakunda, Mr Mulusa and Mr Changala applied that the tribunal be established to investigate whether or not Mr Kabimba as Justice minister had breached his oath of secrecy when he released a government legal opinion for use in a court matter.
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