Suspended UPND lawyer Martha Mushipe has dragged Mashi Refrigeration and Hardware Limited and its director Isaac Mwitila to court, seeking an order to pay her K170,000, being the outstanding balance for professional and legal services rendered to them.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Friday, Mushipe stated that she was at all material times a legal practitioner by profession, being the principal partner of Mushipe and Associates and was suing the defendants on behalf of the said firm.

“The plaintiff is and was at all material times a legal practitioner by profession, being the principal partner of Mushipe and Associates and is suing the defendants on behalf of the said firm. The second defendant is one of the directors of the first defendant,” read the statement of claim.

She stated that between June 1, 2017, and June 15, 2017, she entered into an agreement with the defendants to represent them with regard to a debt owed to the defendant by Grandview International Limited Company.

Mushipe stated that upon agreement of K30,000 deposit, she accepted instructions from the defendants and proceeded to file and serve writ of summons as well as a statement of claim dated June 9, 2017.

She stated that in pursuing the defendant’s instructions, she diligently carried out the said instructions and successfully managed to uphold the defendant’s interest, recovering the debt owed by Grandview International Limited Company to the defendants.

Mushipe stated that upon completion of the defendant’s instructions, she rendered detailed bill to the defendants, listing out the nature of work undertaken by her as well as a sum total of their outstanding legal fees.

She disclosed that the defendants had refused to settle the fees.

“The defendants have since refused to settle the outstanding legal fees, which are rightfully due to the plaintiff for the services rendered to them,” read the statement of claim.

Mushipe now claims the sum of K170,000 being the outstanding balance for professional and legal services rendered to the defendants, the bill to be taxed in default of agreement.

She is further claiming for an order compelling the defendants to immediately pay her the above outstanding legal fees due, interest on the outstanding balance, legal costs of this action and other relief the court may deem fit.