A Lusaka woman has sued Airtel Networks Zambia PLC in the Lusaka High Court claiming damages for revealing her mobile money account balance to a third party without her consent.

Olypa Chisha Chilembo, is seeking damages for breach of confidentiality and an order that Airtel be found vicariously liable for the negligence of their employee, saying she has suffered damages as the result.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Chilembo stated that she was a customer of Airtel, as well as, a holder of an Airtel Mobile Money Account.

She stated that on May 17, her client Sharon Musonda, deposited money into her Airtel money account.

Chilembo stated that the following day, Musonda visited the Airtel customer care centre located at Manda Hill to confirm the transaction of the previous day.

“The plaintiff was a customer of the defendant and holder of an Airtel money account under the said defendant. On May 17, 2018 one Sharon Musonda, a client of the plaintiff deposited money into the plaintiffs Airtel money account. On May 18, 2018 the said Sharon Musonda visited the defendants customer care centre located at Manda Hill shopping complex to merely confirm the transaction of the previous day,” read the statement of claim.

Chilembo further stated that an employee of Airtel, negligently and in breach of the confidentiality owed to her, revealed her account balance to Musonda without her authority.

“An employee of the defendant, one Tacinta Bwalya, negligently and in breach of the confidentiality owed to the plaintiff revealed the plaintiff’s account balance to the said Sharon Musonda without authorisation of the account holder, the plaintiff herein,” read the statement of claim further.

She disclosed that as the result of Airtel’s negligence, she had suffered damages.

Chilembo now claims for an order that Airtel be found vicariously liable for the negligence of their employee and damages for negligence in revealing confidential mobile money account information to a third party without her consent.

She is further seeking for damages for breach of confidentiality, interest, any other reliefs the court may deem fit and costs.