. Sampa

By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –

A PANEL of Supreme Court judges is today expected to hear two matters in which Matero Member of Parliament (MP) Miles Sampa, Kasama MP Geoffrey Mwamba and former High Commissioner to Nigeria Seleman Phangula are challenging the decision of the High Court to declare Edgar Lungu as the PF candidate in the January 20, 2014 presidential election. 

Mr Sampa has appealed against Judge Mungeni Mulenga’s ruling to declare Mr Lungu as duly elected PF president as well as sole candidate on the PF ticket. 

Mr Mwamba, Mr Sampa and Mr Phangula have in the other case appealed against Ms Justice Mulenga’s refusal to add them as respondents in the matter she issued a consent judgment to declare Mr Lungu the PF president as well as candidate in next month’s elections. 

They wanted Ms Justice Mulenga to add them as respondents to the proceedings but she declined because she could not re-open a case she had already determined. 

Mr Lungu later filed a notice to raise preliminary issues and asked the Supreme Court to dismiss Mr Sampa’s appeal on grounds that it was an abuse of the court process as former secretary general Bridget Atanga, who Mr Sampa sued as second respondent, has been replaced by Davies Chama. 

PF national chairperson Inonge Wina also appealed to the Supreme Court to dismiss Mr Mwamba, Mr Sampa and Mr Phangula’s appeal on grounds that there was a multiplicity of similar cases in the courts. 

Yesterday, the Supreme Court judge Munyinda Wanki heard Ms Wina’s request to have the three PF members appeal dismissed but said he could not pass ruling because the substantive main hearing of the matter is today.

All the matters are supposed to be heard together.