Judge Wood testifies in Chikopa tribunal

Judge Wood testifies in Chikopa tribunal
Lusaka, July 15, 2013, ZANIS….. Lusaka High Court Judge Albert Wood
today testified before the Chikopa tribunal how suspended
Judge Charles Kajimanga allegedly conducted himself unprofessionally.

 

Judge Wood told the tribunal that Judge Kajimanga allegedly interfered in,

illegally retrieved or caused to have retrieved and presided over a matter that he was
handling in the commercial court.

Justice Wood recalled that in 2008 when he was appointed High
Court Judge, he was given a responsibility in the commercial court
to handle the case between Finsbury Investments Limited versus
Antonio Ventriglia and Manuela Sebastiani Ventriglia.

 

Judge Wood told the tribunal that after hearing testimony from a number of

witnesses and before the case was disposed off, it was retrieved from him by

Judge Charles Kajimanga who was deputy Judge in charge at the time.

Judge Wood further told the tribunal that in a similar manner another matter
involving the Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) versus Post Newspapers
Limited, JCN Holdings Limited and Mutembo Nchito was retrieved from
him on grounds that Post Newspaper Editor-In-Chief Fred Member was his
friend and that he had taken too much time to dispose-off the case.

This is in matter where three judges are alleged to have interfered
in, illegally retrieved or caused to have retrieved and presided over
the matter from High Court judge Albert Wood.

In the first matter, Lusaka High Court Judge Albert Wood told the
tribunal that he was asked by Judge Kajimanga to recuse himself and
handover for relocation the file of Finsbury Investments Limited
versus Antonio Ventriglia and Manuela Sebastiani Ventriglia.

 

Judge  Wood testified that this was on grounds that Dr. Rajan Mathan,

a major shareholder of Finsbury was his (Wood) client whom he was

accused of having represented in one of his (Mathan) cases.

He further explained that he was accused of being a sympathizer of the
Patriotic Front (PF) party which was then in the opposition hence he
was asked to return the files of the case to the Deputy Judge in
Charge Charles Kajimanga for relocation.

But Judge Wood denied ever representing Dr. Mathan during his private
practice at the AM Wood law firm from which he retired in 2008 after
he was appointed as high court judge.

He contended that in fact he represented Savior Koni against Dr. Mathan
in 2009 when he was already a high court judge and not the opposite as
claimed by Judge Kajimanga.

In the second matter which was also retrieved from him which involved
the Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) versus Post Newspapers Limited,
JCN Holdings Limited and Mutembo Nchito, Judge Wood denied being friends
with Mr. Mmembe saying contrary to the accusation, he never went to the
same school or university with the later.

He noted that there was no reason for the case to be retrieved from
him as he is not Mr. Mmembe’s friend and did not belong to the then
opposition PF.

Judge Wood stated that prior to the retrieval of the matter from him, he had
made a number of rulings that none of the parties involved made
appealed against.

Matters before the tribunal are that in respect to justice Musonda and
Judge Kajimanga, it will inquire into how they allegedly interfered in and
illegally retrieved or caused the retrieval of the case involving DBZ
versus the Post Newspapers Limited, JCN Holdings Limited and Mutembo
Nchito from high court Judge Albert Wood.

The tribunal is further inquiring into how Justice Musonda and
Judge Kajimanga interfered in and illegally retrieved or caused the
retrieval of the case involving Finsbury Investments Limited versus
Antonio Ventriglia and Manuela Sebastiani Ventriglia.

The three judges are alleged to have interfered in, illegally
retrieved or caused to have retrieved and presided over the matter
from High Court judge Albert Wood.

The tribunal was appointed by President Sata on April 30, 2012, to
investigate alleged professional misconduct of Supreme Court judge
Phillip Musonda and two High Court Judges Nigel Mutuna and Charles
Kajimanga.

The tribunal will continue sitting tomorrow with more witnesses
expected to testify.