Speaker of the National Assembly Henry Chimunthu Banda has threatened to drag to court DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi for what he has called distortion of facts and character assassination in the media on Section 65 matters.

In a letter dated June 26 2012, Chimunthu Banda has given Dausi up to July 2 2012 to issue a written apology to him and another apology to be published in the print media.

Writes the Speaker: “You [Dausi] have continuously vilified me in both print and electronic media outlets by concocting a litany of lies.

“In the event of failure to comply with the above mentioned demands, my lawyers are under instructions to take the matter to court by Tuesday, 3rd July 2012.”

Among the accusations, Chimunthu Banda said Dausi alleged that the Speaker on May 24 read out names of Members of Parliament (MPs) who were elected on DPP ticket and had now joined the PP, yet on the said day, the Speaker only read out names of MPs who had declared their new status and seating positions in the House.

The Speaker further said although Dausi has been telling the media that in the DPP petitions there was a mention of DPP MPs leaving the party and joining the PP, the petitions did not talk of DPP MPs joining the PP.

The DPP petitions were signed by DPP leader in the House Dr George Chaponda and secretary general Elias Wakuda Kamanga.

The Speaker also accused Dausi of falsely saying that he had asked for evidence despite the MPs already writing him that they had joined the PP after ditching the DPP.

In an interview on Tuesday, Chimunthu Banda confirmed having written the MP, saying: “I feel he [Dausi] has damaged my name with a lot of falsehood. He has deliberately taken advantage of the fact that I can’t go to the media.”

Dausi, on the other hand, said in as far as he is concerned, he “never said anything outside the Speaker’s communication of May 24th.