Miles Sampa sues Lillian Mutambo for £2 million over murder claims
🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Miles Sampa sues Lillian Mutambo for £2 million over murder claims
Former Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa has taken UK-based social media content creator Lillian Mutambo to the Lusaka High Court, demanding £2 million, or its Kwacha equivalent, in damages over publications allegedly linking him to the 2012 murder of NIPA student Ruth Mbandu.
Court documents filed on September 14 show Sampa accusing Mutambo of publishing statements on her Facebook platform, “Lily Mutanz TV”, alleging he killed the 19-year-old student to conceal a pregnancy. Mutambo is also alleged to have described Sampa as a “cold-blooded killer”.
Sampa argues the publications were accessible to audiences in Zambia and damaged his character, credit and reputation. The allegations contained in Mutambo’s publications are not established facts, and the filing represents Sampa’s claims before the court.
Beyond the £2 million damages claim, Sampa wants the disputed publications removed and is seeking an injunction preventing further publication of the allegations. He has also asked the court to order a public retraction and apology.
Mbandu’s killing has remained one of Zambia’s most widely discussed murder cases since her body was discovered in Lusaka in 2012.
The lawsuit places another high-profile political dispute originating on social media before Zambia’s courts, where the central issue will now move from online accusation to evidence capable of being tested under law.
– The People’s Brief | Chileshe Sengwe