By Spy Uganda
Adsum advocates representing Chinese businesswoman in Uganda Lan Fang have issued a notice of intention to sue online media houses who, according to lawyers, were paid and agreed to be used as a means to malign their client by falsely writing about a matter that’s before, thereby not only breaching the sub-judice rule but also writing with intent to malign and twist facts on the ground.
According to Adsum advocates who are representing her in court over the same, the sponsored falsehoods making rounds on social media and some online media are intended to jeopardize the due process of the law, thereby trying to arm-twist and deviate from the legal process that’s ongoing.
“We wish to clarify that save for civil suit No.526of 2021, which is at high court commercial div before justice Steven Mubiru, and hearing is still ongoing, the proceedings whereof are protected by law under the sub-judice rule, we can’t reveal much. The rest of the story was purely defamatory, driven by funded malice, unfounded/baseless claims, aimed at tarnishing our client’s name as well as business/reputation for which the same should be disregarded with the contempt it deserves. We have also since taken legal action against the perpetrators who were or continue to be/get involved in the same,” partly reads their statement.
“In their statements, they clearly state that the matter is before Court and even quote the civil suit number, then why discuss it? So we shall also use this as evidence in court and we’re putting them (media houses) on notice as well. We meet in court,” Lan’s lawyers told this reporter.
When tasked to divulge into details, both Lan and her lawyers declined inciting a sub-judice rule that bar them from giving or discussing a matter before Court.
Meanwhile, her lawyers confirmed to this reporter that a number of online houses that run the story without seeking their side have since been served with a Notice of intention to sue. The Notice among others demands that each media pays up to shs600m for defamation and retract the same with an apology.
“Withdraw the said defamatory statements in writing with an apology and pay our client UGX500m and our legal fees of UGX100m or face legal proceedings at your own peril,” partly reads the Notice.
Lawyers also faulted the media for exposing Lan’s private information by sharing her passport details without her consent, which is against the laws of the Republic of Uganda.
