SUPREME COURT REDIRECTS MUNIRS CASE
By Cecilia Kayaya Mporokoso
The supreme court of Zambia has redirected the matter in which former Lumezi Member of Parliament Munir Zulu petitioned against the failure by the lower court to grant a stay of execution of his conviction and sentence.
In this matter Munir Zulu appealed against the judgment of the subordinate court which convicted and sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for criminal libel.
This stemmed from a press conference held at the National Assembly wherein two members of Parliament and a businessman where accused of corrupt practice. He argued that the remarks where made within the precinct of the National Assembly using powers vested in him as MP.
A panel of three judges seating at the high court has ruled that, the learned judge misdirected itself in the manner in which it dealt with the application for an order for a stay of criminal proceedings and the petition.
Deputy chief justice Micheal Musonda, along side Nigel Mutuna and Mwenya chisanga, found that the courts decision to volunteer ruling on Mr Zulu’s petition constituted a misdirection in this judgement.
It deduced that the only hearing that the lower court was entitled to conduct on 4th June 2025, was the one in respect of the Mr Zulu’s application for a stay of criminal proceedings.
Adding that the court erred when if failed to render a ruling to the said application which it acknowledged hence redirecting the case back to the high court.
#NewsOnTheGo