Ex-Zambia Army officer sues ZRA
By Staff Reporter
A RETIRED Zambia Army officer has sued the Zambia Revenue Authority seeking damages for false imprisonment, impounding and detaining his motor vehicle for over a year.
Beau Chilongo also wants the Lusaka High Court to declare that ZRA’s actions in impounding his motor vehicle was illegal and beyond its authority and jurisdiction.
Chilongo is further seeking an order for compensation for loss of use of his vehicle, damages for false imprisonment, general and special damages, interest and any other relief the court might deem fit.
In a statement of claim filed in the principal registry, Chilongo stated that he owned a Toyota Mark II Motor vehicle registration number AB819.
He claimed that on September 30, 2017, nearing midnight, three ZRA officials trailed his vehicle from the toll gate at Manyumbi to a known lay-by.
Chilongo stated that the said officers without just cause, approached him and demanded that he follows them to the ZRA offices at Kapiri Mposhi in Central Province.
He explained that the motor vehicle in question was a military vehicle which he was in the process of purchasing from the Zambia Army.
Chilongo claimed that the said officers detained him at their offices for over 13 hours against his will and without giving him any known reason for the detention.
“The plaintiff was falsely imprisoned for no reasonable or probable cause or justification from September 31, around 23:30 hours to October 1, around 07:00 hours, when he was released,” further read the claim.
Chilongo stated that the ZRA officers however, impounded his motor vehicle without any care or concern as to how he was going to transport himself and his goods to his destination.
He argued that the motor vehicle in question did not fall under ZRA’s jurisdiction.
Chilongo claimed that the motor vehicle was impounded by ZRA for over a year from September 30, 2017 to about April this year.
He stated that he has suffered the loss of use of the motor vehicle for the period it was impounded and that he also suffered mental anguish and distress due to the said events.
Chilongo is seeking an order for compensation for loss of use of the vehicle, damages for false imprisonment, general and special damages, interest and any other relief as the court might deem fit.
