State House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka has reported former Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to law enforcement agencies for defamation.
Yesterday Lungu published a statement on his official Facebook page where he suggested that Hamasaka, along with other State House officials, had been involved in the alleged abduction of Petauke Central Member of Parliament Emmanuel Jay Banda.
In a statement released on Facebook, Hamasaka has bemoaned the former Head of State for his intrusion into a matter still standing before the courts of law.
“I have seen a Facebook post by our former President Edgar Lungu on issues surrounding JJ Banda, and somewhere he has implicated me,” Hamasaka wrote.
“With due respect to our former President, being a lawyer himself, mentioning my name in this incident is extremely prejudicial as these matters are in court.”
Hamasaka has strongly denied having played any part in the alleged abduction of Banda, whom he has also denied ever encountering.
“I have personally lodged a complaint before law enforcement agencies on this matter because I have NEVER met JJ Banda in my life. I challenge our former President to ask JJ Banda if he has EVER met me in his life. It really breaks my heart to have an entire former President commenting on issues based on rumors and falsehoods. Let him stop inciting hooliganism against me and my family. People can harm me based on his falsehoods,” he added.
Hamasaka has also regretted Lungu’s tendency of calling out republican President Hakainde Hichilema to have a hand in matters before the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary, which are completely autonomous.
“And it’s extremely unfair for our former President Edgar Lungu to keep dragging President Hichilema into many issues such as that of JJ Banda. The Head of State has nothing to do with issues under the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Hamasaka has reminded Lungu that he is bound to answer to the law on matters away from State House in case he is found wanting.
“And a reminder to our former President that he no longer enjoys immunity on matters committed outside State House,” he said.
