Break-up drama lands Lusaka lawyer, ex-lover in court
PROMINENT Lusaka lawyer Joseph Chirwa has been sued in the Kabwe Magistrates Court for failing to honor a car loan agreement which he entered into with CTM and Associates.
Chirwa who was newly elected LAZ member is said to have loaned a car for his ex-lover Diamond TV presenter Vida Mwale as a birthday gift at a sum of K150,000.
Despite several reminders made to Chirwa to clear the debt the lawyer has neglected to do so but instead decided to assign the debt to his ex-lover.
According to a demand letter written to the journalist by Chirwa’s lawyers Lusengo Mulongoti Advocates, the lawyer demanded payment of K130,000.0 and his counsel’s collection fee of 10%, amounting to K13,000.00 in the alternative she should surrender the maroon Toyota Lexus registration no. BBC 7480ZM.
Chirwa’s lawyers accused Mwale of having lured their client to purchase the vehicle for her on reasons that she was expecting his child.
It is alleged that after Mwale refused to succumb to Chirwa’s intimidation, the lawyer forced the money lending company to jointly sue them and use court proceedings as a rubber stamp to repossess the car.
Teeford and Company legal practitioners on behalf of CTM and associates wrote a demand letter to Chirwa and Mwale demanding that he hands over the car.
According to the company Chirwa had breached the loan agreement by registering the car in Mwale’s name without clearing the balance.
The terms of agreement were that Chirwa would service the loan by making monthly payments of K30, 000 plus 4% interest per annum.
“The gist of our client’s claim is that on 2nd April, 2023, our client did enter into a Vehicle Finance Agreement with you (Mr. Joseph Chirwa) wherein our client was obligated to facilitate the purchase of a motor vehicle, make-Lexus, maroon in color with chassis number GSE20-20-2060506 at a price of K150,000 from JAN Japan Zambia Limited situated in Makeni, Lusaka,” read the demand letter.
“Additionally, one of the material conditions contained in the agreement was that the vehicle would be registered in your (Mr. Joseph Chirwa) name until the full loan amount is paid. We are further informed that after the commencement of the agreement, our client got to learn that you had breached the above-mentioned condition of the contract by registering the vehicle in the name of a third party, Ms. Vida Mwale.”
However the media personality has refused to take responsibility for the debt on reasons that she did not enter into an agreement with the money lending company but only received the car as a gift.
CTM and Associates has sued the pair in the Kabwe magistrates court for breach of contract and demanded that the vehicle be surrendered.
The car was grabbed from Mwale on Thursday May 23, when the parties went for hearing as CTM and associates obtained an ex-parte order before magistrate Austern Mubita ordering the journalist to surrender the car to the clerk of Court, pending determination of the matter.
Magistrate Mubita adjourned the case to June 6 for inter-parte hearing.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba May 25, 2024.