Late president Sata’s estate case escalates

The State has nothing to do with the estate of late President Michael Sata and therefore it should be removed from the court proceeding commenced by some beneficiaries against the administrators, the Attorney General has argued before the Lusaka High Court.
The Attorney General has explained that the responsibility to distribute the estate of the former head of State among its beneficiaries was entirely with the duly appointed administrators and that the Attorney General who was the third respondent was only obligated to follow the directives of the court or the duly appointed administrators.

This is a matter in which former first lady Christine Kaseba and late president Sata’s son, Mulenga, together with the Attorney General have been sued as the administrators of the estate of the late head of State over the alleged suspicious manner in which they have distributed the assets without full disclosure of its worth.

Petronella Mpundu, together with her two children she had with the late head of State – Mukupa Chilufya (17) and Salome Mulenga (10) – has sued the two administrators for failing to recognise her as a legal wife who was traditionally married to Mr Sata.
Ms Mpundu, a Bank of Zambia employee, argues that she deserved to be a beneficiary as well as be informed of the full disclosure of the total worth of his estate.
But the Attorney General has filed in summons of misjoinder from the matter as it had nothing to do with the State of which he was the official legal counsel.

“That the applicant has stated in the caption of this matter that the 1st respondent and the 2nd respondent are the administrators of the estate of the late president Sata.
“That I am advised by counsel and verily believe this to be true, that this matter relates purely to administration of the estate of the late president to which only the administrators can respond,” he said.
This is according to an affidavit filed into the High Court by permanent secretary in charge of administration at Cabinet Office, Ms Margaret Miyoba.

Zambia Daily Nation