THE Bowman Lusambo and Mercy Cowham’s court case is still fresh and the lastest is that the Lusaka High Court has ordered that a paternity test be done on four children which a woman claims were fathered by the politician, commonly known as Bulldozer.
In September, 2021, Mercy published, through a video footage that was circulated on Facebook and other online media houses, to the effect that Mr Lusambo had been in a sexual relationship with her for about eight years.
She claimed that the former Kabushi lawmaker fathered four children with her while she was expecting the fourth one and that she had since given birth.
Unhappy with the allegations, Mr Lusambo, a former Kabushi MP, dashed to the Lusaka High Court and sued the Ndola woman for defamation of character.
He insisted that he did not have sex with Ms Cowham and that claims by the woman that he fathered her four children and deserted them were false as he was a responsible citizen and a man of honour highly respected in society.
He also prayed to the High Court to grant his application for an order of a paternity test to bring the debate of the children’s paternity to a conclusion.
The politician asked the High Court to order that he conducts a paternity test to determine whether he is the father of the children imposed on him by Cowham who he has sued seeking damages for libel, a retraction and an apology over the false statements.
The court has now since granted the application for the paternity test.
In her ruling on the application for the paternity test dated December 29, 2023, High Court Judge Mwila Kombe directed that blood samples be taken from Mercy Cowham’s four children.
“I have carefully analysed the facts of this case wherein the plaintiff contends that the allegations by the defendant that he was the father of her children were incorrect and untrue as he never had any sexual relationship with her,” the ruling reads.
“It is my considered view that the probable outcome of these proceedings will not be the same if it is found that the plaintiff is the father of the defendant’s children.”
The court further ruled that the issue of ascertaining the paternity of Ms Cowham’s children is therefore fundamental as it goes to the root of this matter.
“This application is therefore well founded and the proper way of procuring the best evidence before this court,” the judge said. The plaintiff has therefore made out a case warranting the court to consider the exercise of its discretion to grant the order sought.”
(Mwebantu, Thursday, 11th January, 2024)