MBABANE:Issufomia Issufo Calu, the Mahhala Big Tree Shopping Complex who was wrongly sentenced to three(3) months last weekend by Judge Titus Mlangeni has been released from prison.
This comes after editor Zweli Martin Dlamini wrote a hard-hitting article earlier on Tuesday morning, accusing Judge Titus Mlangeni of being bias in the matter between Calu and Galp Eswatini.
Businessman Calu was renting at the Big Tree Complex,operating a filling station and thereafter,he was frustrated by Galp Eswatini after the supplier refused to supply him with fuel but, seeking to kick him out of business,he approached the court with no legal redress.
But the businessman subsequently purchased the Big Tree Complex and as the new owner of the property,he took a business decision to evict Galp Eswatini and the Filling Station from his premises because, he no longer had a business relationship with Galp, he was seeking to engage another company to run a new Filling Station within the premises of his property.
Judge Mlangeni who is part of the court that failed to assist the businessman by providing justice, decided to jail Calu for evicting Galp Eswatini within the premises of his property.
“It’s true I have been released from prison, someone told me that you were writing about the matter”, said the businessman when confirming to editor Zweli Martin Dlamini on Wednesday morning.
It is alleged that,the editor’s article created a serious debate in the corridors of power on whether Judge Mlangeni was fair or not to jail the businessman on contempt of court charges and thereafter, a documentation was quickly prepared by the Office of the Attorney General(AG) to release him.
Sibusiso Nhlabatsi, eSwatini human rights lawyer told this Swaziland News on Tuesday that, even though court orders must be respected, a person who stands accused of contempt of court, must be given enough time to defend the accusations or charges.
“But even though I am not familiar with the case you are asking me about,in my view, it was rushed and the businessman was not given enough time to defend the contempt of court charges. Three(3) months in prison is not easy, that’s why before such judgement or ruling is made, the accused must be given enough time to defend the contempt of court charges”, said the human rights lawyer.
On another note, the editor emphasized the importance of discouraging injustice against those who can’t speak for themselves, even if the perpetrators are Judges.
Big Tree Shopping Complex(pic: supplied).