Lusaka Times
February 14, 2011
http://www.lusakatimes.com/2011/02/14/child-woman-earth-fr-bwalya/
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| Fr Frank Bwalya |
Change Life Zambia executive director Fr. Frank Bwalya has sued two Zambia Daily Mail reporters in their individual capacities and the Newspaper for defamation of character following a published story that said the catholic priest had a child with a woman he worked with at Radio Icengelo.
According to a letter of instruction to his lawyers and obtained by LT, Fr. Bwalya has sued among other parties, Wallen Simwaka and Angela Chishimba both of Zambia Daily Mail for writing false and malicious stories about him and is demanding unreserved public apologies which should be accompanied with One Billion Kwacha (K1,000,000,000).
In the Sunday Mail Edition of 13th February, 2011, the newspaper published a story titled “Fr Bwalya fathers child” which claimed that the catholic priest had a male child with a woman he worked with at the said Radio Station.
Below is the letter of instruction from Fr. Bwalya to his lawyers
Fr. Frank Bwalya
Plot No. 4843, Almalik Street, Riverside Extension, Kitwe Zambia
Monday, February 14, 2011
Mr. Richard Mandona
Chilupe & Permanent Chambers
P.O. Box 35702
Lusaka
Dear Sir,
Re: Instructions to Seek apologies and Commence Legal Proceedings on False and Malicious Publication Against Myself (Fr. Frank Bwalya) in the Sunday Mail Issue of Sunday, 13th February, 2011 under the Headline: “Fr Bwalya fathers child” and the Zambia Daily Mail dated 14th February, 2011 headlined “Vatican challenged over Fr. Bwalya”
The above subject matter refers.
I write to retain you as my legal counsel in the above captioned matter. I wish to bring to your attention extremely false, malicious and baseless publications that have been published by the Sunday Mail and the Zambia Daily Mail that I fathered a child with an employee of Radio Icengelo. Firstly, I wish to confirm to you that these are totally false and malicious publications aimed at denting my image and causing injury deliberately to me.
In view of the foregoing I wish to instruct you to request the Sunday Mail, Zambia Daily Mail, its reporters and people who have also made false statements and comments on this false story to render appropriate public apologies to be published in the similar screaming headline stating that the stories are false and making serious unreserved apologies which should be accompanied by K1, 000, 000, 000.00 billion for each of the people who have deliberately chosen to defame me as follows:
1. In the Sunday Mail of 13th February 2011, under the headline, “Fr. Bwalya fathers a child” authored by Wallen Simwaka, it is falsely alleged that I have a child with a woman I worked with at Radio Icengelo. I wish to state that the story is completely false as I do not have a child with any woman on earth. Secondly it is also very false that there is no Radio Icengelo Station in Ndola as the Radio Station is in Kitwe.
2. In the Zambia Daily Mail of Monday February 14th 2011, the paper did cause to be published a false story about me under the headline “Vatican Challenged over Fr. Bwalya”. In this story, a Mr. Edward Mumbi Challenged the Church to ex-communicate me for siring a child with a workmate when I served as Radio Manager at Radio Icengelo.
3. In the same story, Radio Icengelo Board Chairman Bill Osborn MBE said the Board is deeply disturbed by the revelations that Fr. Bwalya allegedly fathered a child with one of the workers and that the Board will institute investigations before issuing a comprehensive statement.
I wish to state that the said two articles and comments by the above persons were calculated to cause injury and did cause injury to me and my image and public perception of me was lowered in the estimation of reasonable and right thinking members of society.
As a result I wish to put it on record that I and family have suffered ridicule, contempt and public odium.
Therefore, I instruct you to demand on my behalf that they must render appropriate and immediate public apologies approved by myself within Forty-Eight (48) hours from the date that you will write to them as follows;
1. Reporters namely Wallen Simwaka and Angela Chishimba in their individual capacities for writing false and malicious stories about me should render unreserved public apologies which should be accompanied by One Billion Kwacha (K1,000,000,000.00) each one for the damage caused to my reputation.
2. Mr. Edward Mumbi in his individual capacity for falsely commenting on the story alleging the same to be true. I am demanding an appropriate and unreserved apology from him to be accompanied by One Billion Kwacha (K1,000,000,000.00) for the damage caused to my reputation.
3. The Sunday Mail and Zambia Daily Mail for publishing false and malicious stories about me I seek appropriate apologies from the two to be accompanied by One Billion Kwacha (K1,000,000,000.00) each one for the damage caused to my reputation.
I further wish to instruct that if these parties fail to comply with my demand, you should immediately commence legal proceedings for defamation against the said individuals and newspapers without any further recourse or warning to them.
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