Rangers footballer Fashion Sakala is being sued by a woman claiming to be his former lover for invading her privacy and sending a nude photo of her, according to reports by Zambian media.
Linnety Kaoma has said she was in a four-year relationship with the centre forward before they split in May and he started dating her younger sister. She has accused Sakala of invading her privacy by sending an intimate photograph of someone bearing her resemblance to her younger sister before deleting it.
Ms Kaoma wants an injunction to be granted preventing the footballer and his agents from "invading her privacy and circulating offensive matter bearing her likeness." She is seeking permission to serve a summons on the Zambia international outside jurisdiction since he is living in Scotland.
Sakala joined Rangers in May 2021 on a four-year deal, having previously played for Belgian club Oostende for three years. He has one daughter with wife Violet Zulu and has regularly posted about his family on his social media in the past.
In documents filed to the Lusaka High Court and reported by the Zambia media, Ms Kaoma's lawyer, Muma Mpempa, said that during her relationship with Sakala the two would often WhatsApp video call while taking showers or engaging in virtual intimacy.
The documents, reported by media in Zambia, state: “On one occasion, whilst the parties were engaging in their usual virtual intimacy, via the video call, Sakala did, without the knowledge or consent of Ms Kaoma take a screenshot of the video call, capturing the likeness of the plaintiff in an image that would be considered not only obscene, but also offensive to a reasonable third party viewing the photo.
“The defendant had, toward the end of the relationship tormented the plaintiff by continuously threatening the plaintiff by stating that he was armed with a lot of damaging content of her and that he would ‘spill the beans’ at any time, and at will."
Ms Kaoma has accused Sakala of making her "wary of her safety" after confessing via email that he had previously hacked into her phone. She says that after the footballer captured a photo during a WhatsApp call, without her permission, he published by sending the photo to her younger sister, but deleted it a few minutes later.
The court documents continue: “That as can be seen from the originating process, part of the claims the plaintiff intends on pursuing against the defendant are an order for an interim injunction restraining the defendant by himself, his servants, agents and or whomever connected to him by whatever means from invading the plaintiffs right to privacy, solitude and seclusion, by way of publishing and/or circulating any material reasonably deemed absence / offensive , and bearing the likeness of the plaintiff."
It's not the first time that Sakala has hit headlines in recent weeks. Last month he was forced to clear up online rumours that began circulating over his health. Vile trolls said the Ibrox frontman has been fatally injured during an incident in his homeland, following injury set backs. Sakala told supporters that he was safe on social media.
The Record has contacted Sakala's representatives for comment but they didn't respond. Rangers Football Club were asked for comment by the Record but nothing was forthcoming.
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