Ex-MP Kapalasa dragged to court
By Esther Chisola
FORMER United Party for National Development (UPND) Katuba member of Parliament Aubrey Kapalasa has been sued in the High Court by businessman over alleged defamation.
Mingqing Liu, businessman and shareholder of Ganzhou Investments Limited is demanding a retraction of defamatory remarks.
Mingqing, Ganzhou Investments Limited and three mining companies namely Huake Mining Zambia Company Limited, Neptune Iron Ore Mining Limited and Lintai Mining Company Limited also want a public apology and damages for reputational harm and costs.
According to a statement of claim the plaintiffs submit that Kapalasa instituted legal proceedings against the plaintiff in the Lusaka High Court under cause number 2025/HP/0552 where he was claiming a total of US$1,800,000 for unpaid consultancy and advisory services.
Mingqing states that Kapalasa falsely and maliciously caused to be printed and published in the News Diggers newspaper dated April 29, 2025 defamatory information about the companies.
“The plaintiffs aver that the said news item was widely circulated as it was published on other social media pages and blogs. That the defendant falsely and maliciously caused to be printed and published of the plaintiffs and their business the following words: the companies reportedly controlled by Chinese national Mingqing Liu, engaged [the defendant] consultancy services between 2023 and 2024 but failed to honour agreed payments despite him fulfilling his obligations,” reads the statement of claim.
The firms state through the words, Kapalasa meant and was understood to mean that the companies were businesses that were dishonest and evaded their contractual obligations and that they were politically aligned and influenced.
“The said article was then published on other social media blogs and pages such as the Zambian Monitor on Facebook, LinkedIn and the Web. The comments by social media users reveal that the article has led right thinking members of the public to believe that the plaintiffs business have political affiliations and that their businesses do not honour contractual obligations,” reads the statement of claim.
“The first plaintiff has in consequence been seriously injured in their character, credit and reputation,and in the way of his said businesses have been brought into public scandal, odium and contempt,” the companies state.
