Attorney general Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda is proposing an amendment of the law to limit powers his office has on settlement of claims of a certain threshold by government.

The proposal comes as the law mandates the Attorney General only to assess the claims and give a consent order committing government to settle claims.

Nyirenda said it can be left to one person alone to make decisions on settlement of claims involving huge sums of money, arguing there is need for guidelines to direct the office of the attorney general on settlements.

He has proposed that before the AG signs a consent order committing government to pay for a certain threshold, there has to be a committee making a recommendation to settle the claim to the AG and that the recommendation will be subjected to a legal scrutiny.

“I can only disagree with the recommendation where am proposing a lesser sum for settlement but not where am counter proposing a higher sum.

Like for example if the recommendation to settle is K3 Billion Kwacha but I think that the actual payment is K1 Billon that will be acceptable but if I think that the payment is K4 Billon ,that will not be acceptable.

He said the settlement of claims cannot just be left to the integrity of a person occupying the office of the AG but there have to be controls , to address judgement errors that would commit government to pay huge sums of money.

Source: MIJ