Lawyer Nankhuni living dangerously, accused of swindling clients

Lilongwe based lawyer Gift Nankhuni is watching his back all the time as gangsters  have put a price on his head after the man of the rob  allegedly swindled well known and respected kingpins in the city.

Nankhuni: Gangsters baying for his blood
Nankhuni: Gangsters baying for his blood

Insiders said Nankhuni is alleged to have “swindled” three ‘businessmen’ of more than K25 million he collected from another set of ‘businessmen’ from the city when he wrote them a ‘demand’ letter from his clients.

“A deal had gone sour and these three businessmen (names withheld) contacted Nankhuni to seek legal redress and Nankhuni promptly sent a demand letter to the other two underworld ‘businessmen’(names also withheld).

“Fearing that the matter would go to court and expose their business, the two underworld bosses agreed to pay through Nankhuni K25 million in cash which the lawyer did not pass on to his clients,” said an insider privy to the dealings.

Eventually Nankhuni’s clients knew that their lawyer was keeping their K25 million but he denied ever receiving the money from the two underworld bosses and that was when things got out of hand.

“Nankhuni has been living in fear. He is no longer socializing as they we he used to because he is aware that gangsters have been set on him,” said a pal to the lawyer.

Nankhuni is said to have been whisked away by his close friends Robert Bakuwa and Khumbo Nyirenda last week at a drinking joint in Area 49  Lilongwe when a gang arrived at the place looking for the lawyer.

The private practice lawyer could not be reached for comment.

In Malawi, lawyers are currently the only people allowed to pay out compensation money.

There have been several reported cases of lawyers not passing on to clients the compensation money they won for them in court, and several newspapers have been picking up cases and highlighting the problem.

Malawi Law Society (MLS) says it is in the process of reviewing complaints lodged.

MLS president John Suzi-Banda is on record saying that they are investigating 400 cases that date back to 2008 where lawyers are accused of duping clients’ of money for compensation while others are accused of overcharging.

“There is a special committee that is reviewing all the complaints that were made lodged and we have special funding to clear the cases,” Suzi-Banda said.

He said the suspected lawyers will undergo a disciplinary hearing chaired by the Solicitor General starting next month and that MLS will be putting aside a week every month for the hearings.

Lawyers will also be allowed to have a legal representation during the hearings, he said.

There are about 400 cases being investigated, according to MLS president.

In critical theft cases, lawyers risk having their licences revoked as the disciplinary committee will be entitled to recommend to the Attorney General to make an application before the Chief Justice to have the lawyers’ licences revoked.

Suzi-Banda said allegations of embezzlement of clients’ funds are “unacceptable.”

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Thaboko
Thaboko
7 years ago

Am a South African working in Malawi. I find Malawians incomprehensibly tolerant. I dont know whether people here are peace loving or plain foolish. In my country lawyer no lawyer if you swindle me i kill you. Why should parliament allow lawyers to be the only people to collect money? Wake up Malawians this is 2016.

james Matiki
james Matiki
7 years ago

Jealous people dzimavubwa. Mabodza basi you envy these guys. Pamalawi sitizatukuka too much pull him down.

Mr. Tchende.
Mr. Tchende.
7 years ago

Gift ndi Gilbert kukonda kunyenga…….ati kumadzitama kuti ife a Mboba……ma lawyer ofewa muchiuno……koma mbali inayi mukubela anthu. Mudzafera pa nyini anyamata inu! Timakutsatanitu!

Napwito
Napwito
7 years ago

Anyanya kupwala mahule Nankhuni yu ndi mzake uja Gilbert Khonyongwa. Ife timadabwa zibwenzi zili thoooo mu kawalemu ndi mwa mgona. Ma lawyer kuchinda mwa unve!!!!

John Kachasu
John Kachasu
7 years ago

Nakhuni is a crooked lawyer. I am a living proof. He did to me . La 40 lafika.

Samuel Lwara
Samuel Lwara
7 years ago

I think Malawi Law Society is only symbolic sympathizer to the offended victims of the day and not realistic at all. I understand they are less than 300 lawyers in Malawi, and Suzi Banda says they are 400 cases of such nature under investigation, this simply means that all our legal chaps have a case to answer in real sense. For instance last year I lodged a complaint against John Tennyson and Associates of Mzuzu about its misrepresentation in a civil cause and in default Judgment between Osisa of south africa and myself Samuel Lwara and five unknown persons. Osisa… Read more »

nyama ya phwisa
nyama ya phwisa
7 years ago

Gift Nakhuni is a quiet and and honest man please try to findout , amwene a number one you are an Idiot. every business has got its complication…. now amalawi THE GANGS ARE LOOKING FOR NANKHUNI potumidwa ndi anthu so called clients dziwani NO MAN IS UNTOUCHABLE… We received our compasation through this handsome boy Nankhuni… i dont understand why people should published such false allegation against him ……

Tikondane
Tikondane
7 years ago

MLS is incompetent. Bungwe lofunikira koma lotsogozedwa ndi ana siliwoneka phindu lake. Anthu akuberedwa ndalama zawo pamalawi pano and complaints have been lodged with the MLS but to no avail. Zomwezi basi zokankhirana kunsana!! Mukuononga legal profession chifukwa chosunga mbavazi zidzibera anthu osauka ndiosalakwa!! Lawyers are officers of the court; where the MLS is deliberately paying a deaf ear, rush to the High Court akawapange debar anthu ngati amenewa.

Observer
Observer
7 years ago

Without necessarily commenting on the issue at hand, Mr. Editor, please note that this story lacks balance and falls short of many characteristics of a good and balanced article. It sound more of a fabrication. First, the issue has not come from the people who have been swindled although the writer claims to have their names but couldn’t their side of the story. Next the people who have paid through the lawyer have not been asked to explain and the writer claims to have their names. And thirdly, the very swindler, Mr. Nankhuni could not be reached for his comment.… Read more »

Moya
Moya
7 years ago

If you know he is being hunted by gangsters why mention names of his close friends who whisked him away it seems the writer wants to put the two on wanted list too, bad reporting and then u are hiding the names of the hunters? Biased reporting.

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