Masebo wants Harrington charged with criminal offence

Lawyers representing Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo in the tribunal appointed to probe her alleged interference and abuse of office in the hunting concession tender process and breach of the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct Act; have asked the Roydah Kaoma chaired tribunal to charge the complainant William Harrington with a criminal offence.

In their written submissions obtained by QFM News, the lawyers from Simeza, Sangwa & Associates, Ellis & Company and Mulenga Mundashi & Company have submitted that the complainant be charged with a criminal offence under Section 17 of the Code of Conduct Act, on grounds that he brought the allegations maliciously and knowing from his previous experience that they were not fit for investigation under the Code of Conduct Act.

They have submitted that the complaint against Ms Masebo was ill conceived, frivolous and vexatious.

They have also submitted that the fact that Mr Harrington chose to bring similar issues to the ones he brought in the Dora Siliya tribunal such as ignoring advise of the Attorney General and reference to provisions of the Cabinet handbook, in total disregard of the decision of the Supreme Court is clear evidence of malice on his part.

They have further submitted that the failure by the complainant and his lawyers to relate their wild allegations against Ms Masebo to part II of the Code of Conduct Act, is also a demonstration of Mr Harrington’s malicious intention in bringing the complaint.

They have submitted that the complaint against Ms Masebo is a classic example of how the Code of Conduct Act is being abused by busy bodies.

They argue that the law is being invoked to conduct a general inquiry into Ministers decisions which certain quarters may not agree with and that in some cases it is being used to wedge personal wars by certain interest groups including cartels.