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Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Gilbert Phiri, has taken legal action against UK-based social media influencer, Lillian Mutambo, suing her for alleged defamation over viral Facebook posts accusing him of corruption and abuse of office.
Phiri stated that Mutambo’s online remarks were false, malicious, and intended to destroy his reputation while undermining public confidence in Zambia’s justice system.
The lawsuit stems from a series of posts allegedly published by Mutambo on October 7, 2025, via her Facebook page “Lily Mutamz TV.”
In the posts, she accused Phiri of “favouring” businesswoman Maria Zaloumis, popularly known as Zed Farmer, by reducing her charge from murder to manslaughter and granting her bail in a case involving the death of Enock Simfukwe.
Mutambo, who claimed to have been Phiri’s former student, went further to describe him as a “bully,” “narcissist,” and “corrupt,” alleging that he used his position “to protect the politically connected.”
The posts reportedly garnered over 1,500 views and were widely shared.
Phiri has described the allegations as “entirely false, defamatory, and malicious,” saying they were made “without any regard for the truth” and have caused him “serious reputational harm and personal distress.”
“The statements have subjected me to ridicule and public scorn while undermining confidence in my office,” Phiri said in his affidavit.
“I have served with integrity, and such reckless lies threaten not only my name but the credibility of the justice system itself.”
Through his lawyers, Phiri issued a demand letter on October 13, requesting that Mutambo retract the statements, issue a public apology on the same platforms, and compensate him for the harm caused.
However, she allegedly ignored the letter and continued publishing similar remarks on her YouTube channel “Lily Mutamz TV.”
In one of the posts cited in court, Mutambo wrote:
“Maria Zaloumis was saved by her former teacher Gilbert Phiri. He bullied me when he taught us at Rhodes Park School, and I’ve never had regard for him. Reducing Maria’s charge is just a sign of the bullying he was known for.”
Phiri is seeking a court declaration that Mutambo’s statements were defamatory, an order compelling her to issue a public apology, and an injunction restraining her from making similar statements in future.
He is also demanding general, aggravated, and exemplary damages, with interest and legal costs.
The defamation claim relates to the ongoing prosecution of Zaloumis (40), who, together with her Nigerian husband and three employees, is facing trial for the alleged murder of Simfukwe.
According to court documents, Phiri has applied for leave to serve the writ of summons outside Zambia and through substituted means via email and courier, as Mutambo is believed to be domiciled in the United Kingdom.
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