Mlauzi law firm denies wrongdoing over £62m water board payment

A Malawian law firm has denied allegations of impropriety over a payment of more than MK62 million it received from Blantyre Water Board (BWB), insisting the money was for legitimate legal services.

Mlauzi Legal Solutions said in a statement made available to Nyasa Times that it has acted as external legal counsel for BWB since around July 2021 and remains engaged by the water board, contrary to reports suggesting no formal arrangement existed between the two parties.

The firm said it holds documentation, including 20 invoices, setting out the work carried out for BWB across various legal matters, and confirmed it is currently representing the water board in more than 100 court cases.

It said some of those cases were “very contentious” and suggested opposing litigants or their representatives could be responsible for the allegations, in an attempt to disrupt ongoing legal proceedings.

The firm said it would not release documents relating to its work for BWB, citing lawyer-client confidentiality obligations, but reserved the right to take legal action against those responsible for what it described as “false and defamatory” claims.

“The Firm remains committed to serving its clients with integrity and professionalism, and will continue to do so without distraction,” the statement said.

The controversy followed the emergence of a payment advice, dated September 1 and processed through the local bank which showed the transaction had been categorised as “salary” rather than a professional fee.

The payment had previously prompted questions from BWB’s suspended chief executive, Yeremia Chihana, over the absence of supporting contractual documentation, according to earlier reports.

The statement from Mlauzi Legal Solutions was dated September 7 and issued in response to what it called circulating publications alleging impropriety.

BWB has not yet issued a public response to the firm’s statement.