Mzomera ready to defend himself in court against Joyce Banda lawsuit over vehicle

Mzimba Hora member of Parliament (MP) the Reverend Christopher Mzomera Ngwira has said he is ready to defend himself in the court after being sued by immediate  past State president Joyce Banda who is demanding a return  of a vehicle assigned to him when he was Northern Region governor of her People’s Party in 2013.

Through her lawyer Mzuzu-based Jivason Kadzipatike, Banda has gone to court seeing an order that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) returnee Mzomera Ngwira returns a KIA pick-up motor vehicle, that he pays damages for conversion of ownership of the said motor vehicle and for loss of use.

The former president, who is also PP president, said she gave Ngwira the vehicle registration ZA 1457 in 2013 to ease his mobility while serving as PP North governor and that she has always retained title and ownership of the vehicle and never relinquished her property right.

“When the defendant (Mzomera) was expelled from the People’s Party on 14th December 2015, it naturally followed that he would no longer perform duties and functions for the People’s Party and hence, the claimant demanded back the said motor vehicle, among other pieces of property, through Peoples Pat, as the vehicle was meant to be used for purposes of the People’s Party,” reads the summons filed at the Mzuzu High Court through Jivason and Company law firm.

The court documents said Mzomera never surrendered the vehicle “contrary to the wishes of the title-holder” and that he is claiming Banda gave him the vehicle as a gift.

Mzomera has been using the vehicle on DPP duties, according to the court documents.

But Mzomera has said he is ready to defend himself in court insisting the vehicle came as a gift from Banda.

“The vehicle came as a gift from Joyce Banda. Actually it was given to me before I became regional governor,” he said.

Mzomera said he tend to wonder “why is it that it’s just my name that people are fighting.”

Earlier PP deputy spokesman Ackson Kalaile Banda said Mzomera was asked to surrender a minibus, three motor cycles, 20 bicycles and assorted party materials.

But the court summons has only mentioned about the vehicle.

The development follows an arrest which Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) affected on Mzomera Ngwira, for allegedly obtaining money using corrupt means.

According to  ACB Senior Public Relations Officer Egrita Ndala, on September 7, 2010, the bureau received an allegation that Ngwira presented invoices from YOGI and Mzimba Hardware on pretext that they had supplied building materials for Lukwelukwe School Project which is funded under Local Development Fund (LDF) under M’mbelwa District Council.

ACB conducted investigations into the matter and established that Ngwira advised the Project Management Committee (PMC) members to sign blank withdrawal slips and told them not to indicate the total amount to be withdrawn. He later indicated K650, 000 on the withdraw form.

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