MMD leader Nevers Mumba pleads with the Supreme Court not jail him

MMD leader Nevers Mumba has pleaded with the Supreme Court not to send him to jail for attacking its integrity, saying his political party and church members would suffer if he was imprisoned.

This is in a matter in which losing Patriotic Front (PF) Petauke Central Member of Parliament (MP) Leonard Banda took Mumba to court for contempt of court.
This was after Mumba had discredited the court’s integrity following its decision to nullify the election of Dora Siliya as Petauke Central MP.
But Mumba who yesterday changed his plea and admitted to the offence mitigated before a panel of five Supreme Court judges not to send him to prison because the MMD would suffer without him at the helm.
Mumba appeared before acting deputy Chief Justice Florence Mumba, Judges Mervin Mwanamwambwa, Hildah Chibomba, Gregory Phiri and Munyinda Wanki.
The opposition leader through his lawyer Irene Kunda from George Kunda and Company said he regretted his remarks and was begging the court not to jail him.
The court had after Mumba withdrew his earlier submission where he did not expressly admit contempt, ordered him to read out word-for-word his new statement to the bench in which he was admitting the offence.
“To stand in this honourable house, before the conveyors of God’s justice for the first time in my life is indeed a difficult moment for me,” Mumba pleaded.
Mumba said as a man who was preparing to run for the highest office, he had never challenged the sanctity of the Supreme Court.
Mumba in his mitigation through Ms Kunda told the court that it should exercise maximum lenience and totally discharge him because he was a first offender and his church followers and party members would suffer if he was sent to prison.
He said the court should look at him as a man of high standing in society, adding that the MMD had no money to go for fresh elections in case he was jailed.
Mr Justice Mwanamwambwa adjourned the matter and reserved judgment to a date to be announced.