UPND Kankoyo Member of Parliament Heartson Mabeta has admitted to defaming former Anti-Corruption Commission board chairperson Musa Mwenye in a consent judgment.
Mabeta had alleged on social media that Mwenye wanted the High Court to order Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) to pay $33 million to Copperbelt Energy Corporation so that he could receive a $3 million commission.
In the consent judgment, Mabeta acknowledged that his statement was “completely unsubstantiated, patently false, and defamatory.”
As part of the judgment, Mabeta is required to publish a public apology on his Facebook page within 48 hours, in a specific format agreed upon by the parties.
The apology must be published in a font size of 16 for the heading, 12 for the quotation of the defamatory statement and 14 for the apology and retraction.
The apology must also be visible to the general public for at least three months from the date of publication.
If Mabeta fails to comply with the terms of the judgment, Mwenye may commence contempt proceedings without further recourse to the court.
