A Lusaka woman has dragged three people to the Lusaka High Court, seeking damages for defamation of character for allegedly accusing her of being a human trafficker and running a prostitution ring in Turkey.

Gwen Mambwe who has sued Angela Mabenga, Edward Mabenga and Kode Mufwamba, is further asking the court to order the three defendants to pay her damages for loss of business and profits, as well as, interests on all amounts found due at the current bank lending rate.

She also wants aggravated and exemplary damages and any other relief the court may deem fit.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court principal registry, Mambwe stated that while in the Republic of Turkey, she instructed the three defendants to collect K38,000 from her former husband on her behalf, which they collected.

She claimed that upon arrival in Zambia, she asked the defendants to return the money they had collected on her behalf but they did not give her the said money.

Mambwe stated this was an inconvenience and resulted in the defendants having an altercation with regard to the said money.

She stated that she would further aver at trial that between the dates of July 8, 2019, she was issued with defamatory remarks made by the three defendants, adding that the said remarks were false.

Mambwe stated that she had been accused by the defendants of being a human trafficker and running a prostitution ring in the Republic of Turkey, of which claims were false and were not able to be proven by the three.

She claimed that the defendants further accused her of selling her children and other children in Turkey to which ‘claims can not be proven by the defendants because there is no truth to those claims.’

Mambwe further stated that she would aver at trial that because of the defamatory remarks made by the three, her reputation had been tarnished to her partners in Turkey.

She added that the remarks had further made her lose business and made losses in the business that she had conducted with her partners in Turkey.

“The defendants had reported Mambwe to the police and she was unlawfully arrested on the false allegations and this has painted a bad reputation of Mambwe to the people that have knowledge of her,” read the statement of claim.

Mambwe lamented that she and her children had been receiving financial support from her former husband but because of the defamatory statements made by the three which had reached the ears of her former husband, he ceased supporting the children.

She stated that this had increased the burden on her to financially support her children.