Lawyer on-the-run after K10mil ‘swindle’: Malawi Law Society worried with unethical conducts of lawyers

Malawi Law Society  (MLS) officials are asking people to demand to see legal licence before engaging a lawyer especially on matters of money after a lawyer is on the run after swindling his client of his K10 million.

Mrs Sibande: The lawyer swindled me
Mrs Sibande: The lawyer swindled me
The cover of the contract
The cover of the contract
The lawyer signed the documents
The lawyer signed the documents

President of the Malawi Law Society Suzi Banda said the rise in unethical behaviour of some lawyers coupled with dishonesty is troubling the law body.

This is after lawyer Chrispine Kam’mayani is on the run having swindled his client of K10 million after a plot sale agreement.

Kam’mayani is said to have sold a plot plot number 47/4/820 on behalf of his client a well known ICT expert  Boston Sibande  but never remitted the K10 million into the client’s account.

Documents in Nyasa Times possession indicate that the learned lawyer Kam’mayani, on 8 January, 2015 signed a document that he is guaranteeing that the seller of plot number 47/4/820, a Mrs Mercy Chitamo and yet the real owner of the plot is Monica Chitawo meaning that the documents had contained similar initials of M.C.

When the paper work was done  Sibande transferred K10 million into the lawyers account so that he can remit into his self made client.

Soon after depositing the money through Inde Bank City Centre Branch, the Sibande family deployed some boys to be taking care of the plot.

Evidence in our possession indicate that on 3 February, 2015, Kam’mayani admitted having stolen the money by sending an SMS to Chimwemwe Sibande that he will refund the misappropriated money.

“This is an unethical conduct. We will investigate this matter. Actually we have taken this matter to the disciplinary committee of the Malawi Law Society,” said Suzi Banda.

However he said the society cannot help when unethical conduct involves lawyers who are not members of the society.

“We are treating this matter with seriousness and urgency,” he said warning clients to always insist on seeing a legal licence before engaging any lawyer for any financial transaction.

He said the licence is renewed every year.

All this comes as Malawian lawyers continue to be shamed with allegations of embezzlement of clients’ funds and overcharging since last year.

In May 2015, Banda admitted there were over 400 cases that were looked into by a special committee.

According to experts, in critical theft cases, that particular lawyer’s licence need to be revoked.-Additional reporting by Alfred Chauwa and Owen Khamula, Nyasa Times

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Ivan Mark Radhakrishnan
Ivan Mark Radhakrishnan
7 years ago

??? ‘Demand to see the legal license’?

AND WHEN THE CRIMINAL PRODUCES A FAKED ‘LICENSE’?

GET REAL!

The Law Society of Malawi / Malawi Law Society should DETAIN ALL FAKE ‘LAWYERS’ who are ‘practicing’ in Malawi – PERIOD!

And WE – THE PUBLIC – DEMAND ALL THE NAMES OF THE ‘LAWYERS’ TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE Law Society of Malawi’s webpage – as was supposed to have happened.

It’s ENOUGH WE PAY TAXES; It is NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ALSO POLICE THE LAWYERS and others who serve – AND STEAL from – The Public!

Nchanga wa nchenga
Nchanga wa nchenga
7 years ago

Every institution in Malawi is becoming useless frm the excutive, judiciary, parliarment, MLS, all useless! Since we heard of the 400 complaints involving the lawyers, i dont think we ever heard of the solutions to these complains at all, so what do MLS so if it cant punish its members? It pains me to hear that the Members of Parliament have rejected the ACB amendment bill to trim presidential powers, and yet we are preaching of corruption on the rise

Zona
Zona
7 years ago

Ine ndikamva lawyer i associate with kuba/ dishonesty/ exorbitant charges/ womanising and AIDS..

Not too different attributes to our parliamentarians..nde dzikoli lingapite patali?

Dr Tonde
Dr Tonde
7 years ago

I demand mob justice on crooked lawyers

Zuze
Zuze
7 years ago

Alipo lawyer wosaba? Kapena mukuti wakuba pang’ono.

Mkotamo
Mkotamo
7 years ago

Akuona ngati walemela iye.10 million ndi ya fanta kwa malawyer amzake .that shame and disrepectiful

bophani
bophani
7 years ago

Lwayer wakuba winanso ndi Zeros Matumba. A Law Society Nayeni, msabisane.

concerned
concerned
7 years ago

Why can’t the MLS distribute publications containing lists of names of all lawyers who are in good standing with the society every year as the article suggests. They could publish in News papers their website etc. So that much like buyer beware, the public is well educated about who to avoid. A checklist so to say. Just demanding to see a licence is not sufficient. What if a lawyer who is not qualified forges a licence? What does a licence look like anyway? Just my 2 cent suggestion.

pido
7 years ago

Kumangowapha mmmatsenga basi

Make Ma
Make Ma
7 years ago

Ifetu timakudabwani inu a MLS takhala tikumva nkhani zoyipa za Chris Kammayani koma why is he still practicing as a lawyer? Why don’t you revoke his license? Mumadziwana. this lady is not the only one wabera anthu ambirimbiri. Muchite kanthu otherwise chilungamo apa palibe.

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