Mtambo asks MEC, APM to return K300 million allegedly paid to South African lawyers

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Leader of the newly formed Citizens for Transformation (CFT) movement, Timothy Mtambo, has demanded President Peter Mutharika and Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to return K300 million that was paid to South African lawyers in their quest to hire them for a representation in the presidential elections appeal case.

Mtambo made the remarks during a press briefing today in Lilongwe where he was addressing Malawians on election and other issues.

“Malawi Electoral Commission erred in paying an upfront of K300 million to South African lawyers in its quest to hire them for a representation in the case. The Commission and President Mutharika should return the money to the tax payers,” said Mtambo.

MEC hired the South African lawyers at a fee of K600 million, an amount that attracted public outrage.

But Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda Monday shot down an application by the lawyers, Dumisa Buhle Ntsebeza and Elizabeth Makhanani Baloyi-Mere of Mboweni Maluleke Inc Attorneys, to represent the electoral body in the appeal case.

According to Nyirenda, the two lawyers failed to satisfy one of the requirements under the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act which requires that the applicant be physically available in court when making such an application to be admitted to represent a client in a foreign land.

The two lawyers were not present in court Monday but went to Malawi High Commission in Pretoria and communicated with the court via video conferencing facilities.

However, reports indicate that MEC already paid an upfront of K300 million.

Last week, the Malawi Law Society objected to the hiring of the South African lawyers, among others saying, the sum of S788, 500 (about K600 million) legal fee charged by the lawyers was unreasonably exorbitant charge on the public purse.

MLS also argued that there is no shortage of local technical capability or capacity to fulfill the procurement requirement for legal services in the appeal case concerned.