Kasambara sues Assani

Private practice lawyer Raphael Kasambara is suing his successor at Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Fahad Assani for defamation.

In an interview yesterday, Kasambara said Assani’s statement — that he (Kasambara) intended to sell his houses which were under investigation— was defamatory given that he does not own any house.

On May 10, Weekend Nation published a story in which Assani said there was a restriction on Kasambara over the sele of his 12 houses in Mzuzu because they were suspected to be under investigations by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

ACB denied Assani’s claims.

“I have already summoned him [Assani]. I have also been told that he also went on Zodiak Broadcasting Station where he uttered defamatory statements; once I get hold of that, I will add on [to the defamatory remarks made in Weekend Nation],” Kasambara said.

When contacted on the matter, Assani acknowledged receipt of the summons, but said he was yet to make any comments.

According to Assani, everything that was said was in reference to the information he had at that time.

“What I can say is that, when I was a minister I reacted according to the information that I had, or was given; it was nothing personal. But what I want to do is to look at the paper, and then make a comment because I was busy with campaign and so did not have time to read what was published,” he said.

Assani’s comments came last year in October as a warning to Malawians to desist from buying property from “civil servants whom you know cannot afford that kind of property”.

Both Kasambara and Assani served as ministers of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the Joyce Banda administration.