Sata Personally Ordered ZRA Raid on Post – Source During his visit to the United Nations, President Michael Sata allegedly directly handed down orders to his Acting President Edgar Lungu instructing the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to move forward with a raid on the properties of the Post Newspapers company belonging to Fred M’membe, a well placed source tells Zambia Reports. The ZRA along with the Police took over control of the headquarters of Zambia’s largest private newspaper in Rhodespark, Bwinjimfumu road in Lusaka by midday. Amid escalating tensions with the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party, earlier this month is was disclosed that the Post Newspapers Limited owed the Zambian government more than K8 billion in back taxes – essentially meaning that the newspaper hasn’t paid any taxes since the election in 2011. A source close the presidential delegation in New York says that President Sata received a call from Mr M’membe to his personal cell phone, during which the newspaper editor insulted the head of state in very disrespectful terms. According to the source familiar with the conversation, M’membe blasted President Sata, telling him that he is “ready for war,” and that after everything he did for him, that the head of state would regret doing this to him. “I survived 20 years under the MMD, and I will survive under your pressure,” M’membe allegedly told Sata, according to the source familiar with the situation. President Sata in response to M’membe’s insults allegedly told him that he would be “sorted out” for what he attempted to do along with Kabimba while the head of state was receiving medical treatment in Israel. Most recently, M’membe, with the help of DPP Mutembo Nchito’s law firm, secured a court injunction to prevent the ZRA from immediately seizing the newspaper’s properties. Mr Justice Chali granted the Post Newspaper permission to commence judicial review against ZRA’s decision to refuse its offer to pay tax liabilities of K26,856.230.91 inclusive of penalties. zambiareports/2014/09/24/sata-personally-ordered-zra-raid-post-source/
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 02:48:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015