Mubanga Mubanga
The Kalenga family has dismissed media reports suggesting that fugitive and businessman Uddit Sadhu and his father Vinod Sadhu had been “cleared” of wrongdoing in Zambia.
Last week, wanted fugitive Uddit was apprehended in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by Interpol following the successful issuance of a Red Notice by the Zambia Police Service.
They are alleged to have been on the run since 2023, when they left Zambia before law enforcement could arrest them.
Uddit allegedly faces multiple serious charges in connection with the alleged fraudulent takeover of Sun Pharmaceuticals Limited.
In a statement to the media, Mususu Mambo Kalenga who spoke on behalf of the Kalenga family who are the complainants in the case, stated that in recent days, certain media outlets had circulated reports suggesting that Uddit was cleared of wrong doing.
Kalenga stated that these reports also
claimed that the Interpol Red Notice was issued by Zambia Police Commissioner Mubita Nawa as an act of revenge over complaints lodged by the Sadhus.
But Kalenga dismissed these claims as false, misleading, and designed to distort the truth.
“The Zambia Police Service has never cleared the Sadhus of wrongdoing,” Kalenga stated. “The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) never investigated this case, nor did it record witness statements from the complainants. The suggestion that there was an an official clearance is completely unfounded,” Kalenga stated.
He explained that the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice was a rigorous process handled at Interpol’s headquarters in France, not by individual police officers.
Kelanga stated that the Interpol Red Notice against Uddit was issued lawfully following an application to Interpol by the Zambia Police Service as part of international policing cooperation.
“It is absurd to suggest that Commissioner Nawa personally orchestrated this as
revenge,” he stated. “Applications for Red Notices undergo strict review by an International panel of law Enforcement professionals before approval. Suggesting that an International Institution like Interpol is corrupt and acting on a personal vendetta of one officer is not only false but highly ridiculous.”
According to the Kalenga family, the Sadhus allegedly took over Sun Pharmaceuticals Limited illegally and fraudulently after the death of its founder, their late father John C.M.
Kalenga, in 2003.
The company had been established in 1982 with funding from the Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ), secured by the family’s property, Mususu Kalenga Building.
The family alleges that following John’s death, the Sadhus altered ownership records, removing legitimate shareholders, including members of the Kalenga family.
“When questioned by police, the Sadhus failed to provide evidence of how they acquired the company,” Kalenga stated. “Instead, they fled the country. That is why the Red Notice was issued.”
He stated that while the Sadhus had relied on technicalities in certain civil proceedings, Kalenga emphasized that these did not negate criminal liability.
“Ownership disputes aside, there are criminal matters that must be addressed. The law
is clear: civil judgments do not erase criminal accountability,” Kalenga stated.
He reaffirmed the family’s commitment to pursuing justice for the rightful shareholders of Sun Pharmaceuticals, stating, “our family will not be intimidated by false media narratives. The truth is clear—the Sadhus are fugitives, not victims. If they believe they are innocent, they should return to
Zambia and face the allegations.”
Kalenga further criticized the Sadhus’ attempts to benefit financially from Zambian taxpayers while refusing to submit to legal processes.
“The Zambian people have a right to know that all transactions are legal and above board,” Kalenga stated.
He also thanked the Zambia Police Service and the government for their support in the pursuit of justice.
In picture : Dr Kasenzi Kalenga, one of late John’s sons.
