Africa-Press – Zambia. PAMBASHE PF member of parliament Ronald Chitotela has denied owing Azadi Investment Limited corresponding value added tax (VAT) for the erection of his retirement house in Chongwe’s State Lodge area.
This is in a matter where Azadi Investments Limited has sued the former minister of tourism in the Lusaka High Court for non-payment of K6.5 million which is an outstanding balance for the aggregate construction fee of his luxurious mansion in Chongwe which was recently seized by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Azadi is seeking an order compelling Chitotela to clear the balance of K6,500,000 including the corresponding VAT. In the alternative, the construction company wants the court to order that Chitotela’s house CHONG/LN_21188/51 in Chongwe district be sold in default of payment so that it can recover its balance.
In its statement of claim, Azadi Investments said on August 8, 2018, it entered into a construction agreement with Chitotela for the construction of the said residential house at a sum of K9,650,000.00 plus the corresponding VAT.
It said Chitotela has only paid K3,150,000.00, leaving a balance of K6.5 million and the corresponding VAT is also yet to be cleared. In his defence, Chitotela admitted owing Azadi K6.5 million but not the corresponding VAT.
“Contents of the claim are true to the extent that only K3,150,000 has been paid by the defendant and no corresponding VAT is owed by the defendant,” said Chitotela. “Save where the defendant expressly admits the claims, the defendant denies each and every allegation of fact contained in the statement of claim as if the same were set forth and traversed seriatim.”
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