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Leader of the New Labour Party, Fresher Siwale, who was charged with defamation of former President, Edgar Lungu, has been granted absolute discharge by the Lusaka Magistrate Court.
Siwale despite being found guilty on one count charge of defamation of the President, which he denied, walked away without any punishment.
Read more: ‘I never defamed president Hichilema’, Nakacinda tells court
According to Wikipedia, an absolute discharge is a type of sentence imposed by a court, whereby no punishment is imposed but finds that the crime was technically committed that any punishment would be inappropriate and the case is closed.
Siwale is alleged that on April 22, 2018, with intent to bring the President’s name into ridicule, issued defamatory statement that the Head of State was not Edgar Chagwa Lungu but Jonathan Mutawale.
When the matter came up for judgment on Friday, Nakonde based Magistrate Alice Walusiku gave the leader an absolute discharge .
She found Siwale guilty of the offence saying the President was a human being like any other person.
Magistrate Walusiku advised that freedom of speech should be accompanied by responsibility.
She said the statement of attacking a senior citizen and a leader was not appropriate.
The Magistrate added that the President was tasked with so many responsibilities of running the nation, need not to be distubed.
“I will excuse maximum lenience, never showed you do it again, I give you an absolute discharge,” Magistrate Walusiku ruled.
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