Prominent lawyers in Malawi fight on forum over corruption, politics: ‘Judge shopping’ allegations  raised

Two prominent lawyers have taken it on Malawi Law Society WhatsApp forum to fight each other over corruption and politics with David Kanyenda accusing Gift Mwakhwawa of bribing judges to win cases.

In a lengthy leaked conversion, Kanyenda is daring Mwakhwawa to declare his political allegiance so that they could engage openly.

In response, Mwakhwawa responds: “I am yet to be sure. One thing I know is that (the ruling Democratic Progressive Party) DPP is thieving. Because if they were okay why fix it when it is not broken?”

But Kanyenda suggests that even other parties, including the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the United Democratic Front  (UDF) have been thieving too.

Things started getting out when Mwakhwawa said: “The president of the DPP  and the party are being accused of thieving, you are not a thief but have been arrested twice on kindled allegations …”

Mwakhwawa said if lawyers had proper peer discipline, Kanyenda’s practising licence would have been revoked.

“David, you stole from clients, you are a thief, that’s a fact. You he belongs to jail. You only are safe because the justice system broken. You only have your licence because the disciplinary process is broken,” said Mwakhwawa.

Kanyenda then hit back, accusing Mwakhwawa of offering money to lawyers, whilst he was at Malawi Law Society, to settle cases after bribing judges.

“You may not have been arrested but that doesn’t make you clean,” said Kanyenda.

The conversation went personal as the two lawyers revealed each others children born out of wedlock.

Former Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale’s request for a ceasefire was not adhered to.