AZADI Investment Limited has sued former Tourism minister Ronald Chitotela in the Lusaka High Court, demanding payment of K6.5 million, being the balance for the construction of his house worth over K9.6 million in Chongwe.

The company is demanding an order for payment of K6,500,000 and the corresponding VAT owed to the company, interest, and an alternative order for the sale of the said property, CHONG/LN_21188/51, situated in Chongwe District.

AZADI Investment Limited also wants costs and any other relief the court may deem fit.

In a statement of claim filed in court, AZADI Investment Limited, a private limited company, stated that on August 6, 2018, it entered into a construction agreement with Chitotela for the construction of a residential house in Chongwe at K9,650,000.

“The plaintiff (AZADI) will aver and prove at trial with written documents that on August 6, 2018, the plaintiff and the defendant (Chitotela) entered into a construction agreement for the construction of a residential house situate at Property No.CHONG/LN_21188/51 Chongwe district of Lusaka Province. The plaintiff will aver and prove at trial with written documents that the total contract sum which was due after the construction of the house was ZMW 9,650,000.00 plus the corresponding Value Added Tax (hereinafter called “VAT”),” the claim read.

The company stated that it would prove at trial with written documents that Chitotela has only paid K3,150, 000.00 and that the balance of K6,500,000 and the corresponding VAT has remained unpaid to date.

AZADI Investment Limited stated that it has written to the defendant but to no avail, adding that no reason has been furnished for failure to pay the money.

“The plaintiff will aver and prove at trial with written documents that two letters of demand dated 1st December 2021 and 3rd May 2022 respectively were written to the defendant but to no avail. The plaintiff shall aver at trial that by reason of the matters aforesaid, the defendant continues to contumeliously disregard the plaintiff’s rights by refusing and failing to pay the money owed to the plaintiff,” read the claim.

Chitotela recently sued the Anti-Corruption Commission in the Lusaka High Court seeking a declaration that his State Lodge property which was seized by the commission was legally and genuinely acquired.

In the said matter, he stated that after buying the bare land, on August 9, 2018, he entered into a construction of the house contract with AZADI Investment Limited at the total cost of USD300, 000.

“The said AZADI INVESTMENT LIMITED started the construction of the said house after being paid the first installment of K500, 000 on the 24th of August 2018 through bank transfer. The source of these funds can be clearly traced from the bank statement which the respondents never requested for. The construction works are still ongoing, but the petitioner in June, 2021 shifted into the said house which he still occupies to date and that the contractor has suspended works because of non-payment of what is outstanding to the contractor,” Chitotela stated.

He submitted that to date he had since paid the said AZADI INVESTMENT LIMITED K3,150, 000 only, leaving the balance of K6, 650, 000.