State House Chief Communication Specialist Clayson Hamasaka has formally written a complaint of criminal defamation against Petauke Central member of parliament Emmanuel Banda for alleging that he was involved in Banda’s alleged abduction on May 25.
In his letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police, Hamasaka narrates that on June 2, while he was at his farm, he came across social media reports that he was among the people who allegedly abducted Banda but dismissed them as baseless falsehoods “on discredited platforms.”
However, on June 12, he read a front-page lead article in the Daily Nation newspaper edition of the same day, wherein he is named as one of the alleged abductors.
“The said Daily Nation article is accompanied by a letter purportedly signed by the said Jay Jay Banda,” said Hamasaka.
He stated that the reports and letters being circulated amounted to serious defamation of his character, going beyond civil libel.
“The offense being associated with me is itself a very serious criminal offense. I have never met the same purportedly abducted individual in my life, and I do not know him other than by hearing that he is one of the members of parliament,” he asserted.
He claims that Banda equally does not know him as he has never interacted with him in any manner whatsoever. Hence, the reports and publications are, therefore, false and mere fabrications, and a serious dent on his personal character.
Hamasaka said they also pause a serious threat to his livelihood and that of his entire family because his accusers “are not ordinary people but persons who have a public following who can take matters into their own hands and decide to harm me.”
For these reasons, he has lodged a formal complaint against Banda and his collaborators – the people issuing and circulating media statements on his behalf.
He wishes them to be prosecuted for criminal libel to enable them an opportunity to avail whatever evidence they have against him.
