Just when you thought that the Patriotic Front government of President Michael Sata couldn’t be worse, his Vice President Guy Scott went out there and proved that yes, it can be worse. Scott’s now infamous interview with the Guardian in which he spewed hate speech toward the South African people will go down as one [...]
10 May 2013 – The recent decision by Interpol to halt the case against Henry Banda, the son of the former President Rupiah Banda, stands as an indication of the politically motivated and groundless defamation campaign against his family waged by the current government of Zambia, says his lawyer Robert Amsterdam, of Amsterdam & Partners [...]
Following the Zambian government’s blatant violation of the law earlier today when immigration authorities illegally prevented former President Rupiah Banda from traveling to Kenya despite a court order allowing the trip, a government spokesperson has issued a statement attempting to whitewash their unlawful conduct. According to the statement by Deputy Minister for Broadcasting and Information [...]
9 April 2013 – Despite a court order releasing former President Rupiah Banda’s passport and official notification to immigration authorities approving his travel to Kenya for the inauguration, today authorities acting under instructions from President Michael Sata forcefully prevented him from boarding his flight, says his international lawyer Robert Amsterdam. Former President Banda, who is [...]
28 March 2013 – Following the disputed removal of immunity of the former President of Zambia Rupiah Banda and his arrest on trumped up charges, his international lawyer Robert Amsterdam says that the persecution forms part of the ruling party’s plan to transfer power from President Michael Sata to a successor. “Now that we are [...]
From an analysis published in the South African newspaper Mail & Guardian (emphasis added): However, no law exists in Zambia that regulates campaign financing and it is not clear whether this charge would stand up under court scrutiny. Banda’s arrest comes after his lawyers, Robert Amsterdam and Sakwiba Sikota, petitioned the Commonwealth to suspend Zambia’s membership [...]
25 March 2013 – Following today’s arrest and charge against the former President of Zambia Rupiah Banda, his international lawyer Robert Amsterdam described the measure as a “desperate” and “politically motivated” action designed to persecute and defame potential opposition leaders. “Given this government’s exceedingly poor record on anti-corruption issues among sitting ministers, the international community [...]
This evening the following letter was delivered to the offices of each head of Member States of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) concerning our reasonable suspicions that the PF government intends to illegally jail former President Rupiah Banda without a trial. To: President of Angola Jose Eduardo dos Santos, President of Bostwana Ian Khama, [...]
17 March 2013 – The recent move by Zambia’s ruling party to force through a parliamentary motion in order to remove former President Rupiah Banda’s immunity was not only handled unlawfully, says his international lawyer Robert Amsterdam, but also represents a grave stain on the country’s reputation. The statement from Mr. Amsterdam follows: “There are [...]
16 March 2013 – Following the passage of a motion in Zambia’s National Assembly to remove the immunity of the former President Rupiah Banda, his international lawyer Robert Amsterdam describes the ruling party’s move as a “farce” that fails to pass the litmus test of legitimacy. “We are disappointed but not surprised by today’s events,” [...]