Experts say K7bn lawyers bill should have gone to Ansah, individual MEC commissioners
Legal and social experts are suggesting that the K7 billion bill which the High Court has ordered Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to pay defense lawyers for President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice-President Saulos Chilima as legal fees in the May 21 2019 presidential election nullification case should have gone to individual pollster’s commissioners.
Political and social commentator Mankhambo Munthali said it sad that the tax payer is punished to pay for the incompetency of MEC commissioners led by Jane Ansah.
“It is high time we held public officers accountable for their action,” said Munthali.
Dean of Law at Chancellor College Sunduzwayo Madise said probably the law chould be changed to punish public officers who fail to do their job effectively and efficiently.
Writing on his Facebook wall, South Africa based Malawian law professor Danwood Chirwa said the K7 billion bill was too high by any standards.
“I am still wrapping my head around the costs assessment orders in favour of Tonse alliance lawyers.
“Somewhere close to K7 billion meant for four lawyers. Malawian lawyers must explain whether there has been examples of a lawyer charging for all possible billable hours in a year and earning at least K1.5 billion,” he says.
He also said that the Electoral Commission must also disclose how much it paid its lawyers so that people know exactly how much in total the taxpayer has lost though the polls case and who has benefitted most.
During the assessment on Monday this week, Agnes Patemba, registrar of the High Court of Malawi and Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, said the costs were for five lawyers who were present during the proceedings on the basis that the court felt that the rest of the legal practitioners were a luxury and an unnecessary burden on the paying part.
Chakwera, who teamed up with Chilima as his running mate, won the court-sanctioned fresh presidential election on June 23 after amassing 58 percent of the vote.
Jane anatipweteka Ife a Malawi
I think this guy Daniel Chirwa has a hatred element with Tonse Alliance from many of his speeches. What Chirwa ought to know is that what Tonse Alliance is doing now is a collective measure of the past record – DPP Activities. I see him talking too much of Malawi Nation and yet he ran away from the Country to South Africa where he cannot talk the goodness of his new Country. May be due to closure of School in South Africa he has nothing to do. You cannot fight someone outside the ring and declare yourself as a winner… Read more »
The suggestion to change the law to punish the future offenders would receive resistance. If the law would start from a bill, that bill would easily be shot down because all the legislatures would be vulnerable.Projects in the constituencies have been substandard with costs very often improportional. All fingures point to the legislatures who get involved in corrupt deals with contractors.
Just arrest all the commissioners and let the Mob work. [We are happy to pay the Tonse lawyers K7b]
The objective was to make money not to punish ansah or commissioners. It wasn’t even justice. If it the bill was issued to ansah, her assets would be seized and possibly will be declared bunkrupt. Which means the lawyers won’t make alot money that way. The chanco thieves knew that and decided to increase their cut by penalising taxpayers, who always pay.
This habit of taking lawyers on credit and forcing taxpayers to foot the bill must end here. This is a crime against government where everyone is indirect victim except a few greedy lawyers who are benefiting 10 billion.
Danwood Chirwa talks sense. Am not so sure how the charges were determined. in a year how much do these lawyers make? what are their tax returns annually?
Unless the commissioners acted beyond their powers but in this case its difficult to establish that fact. Even the concourt judges said these are taxpayers bills, So stop whining.
Just withold their gratuities and arrest them for ten years each.
This money is being syponned by Chakwera and Chilima to be shared with judges.