The Malawi Law Society (MLS) has suspended distinguished lawyer Gift Nankhuni of G. Nankhuni & Partners for six months after discovering him responsible of fraudulent and improper conduct within the discharge of his skilled duties.
Nankhuni can also be a Malawi Congress Party (MCP) aspiring Member of Parliament for Lilongwe City Centre Constituency.
In a transfer that additional dents the already tarnished status of Malawi’s authorized fraternity, Nankhuni has been accused of partaking in misconduct that brings the authorized occupation into disrepute, an offense that violates sections 89(2)(b) and 89(2)(j) of the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act, 2017.
The Disciplinary Committee of the MLS, in an order dated January 10, 2025, has imposed a collection of penalties that replicate the gravity of the case. He has been suspended from working towards regulation for six months, from January 10, 2025, to July 10, 2025, successfully barring him from authorized apply within the nation.
Additionally, he has been ordered to remit an astonishing K477,895,833.33 to the complainants, a staggering sum that raises critical questions on how deeply entrenched fraudulent actions could also be inside sure authorized circles. As if that weren’t sufficient, he has additionally been slapped with a nice of K500,000.00, payable to the Malawi Law Society as prices for the disciplinary proceedings.
This case as soon as once more exposes the rot inside Malawi’s authorized occupation, the place some practitioners appear to function above the moral requirements they’re sworn to uphold. The public has lengthy expressed frustration over attorneys who exploit their purchasers, manipulate authorized procedures, and have interaction in monetary mismanagement with out going through critical repercussions.
The MLS’s determination to droop Nankhuni, whereas commendable, brings into query what number of different related circumstances are quietly swept beneath the rug, permitting rogue attorneys to proceed working towards regardless of quite a few complaints in opposition to them.
The Malawi Law Society has suggested members of the general public {that a} suspended authorized practitioner isn’t allowed to deal with authorized issues in the course of the suspension interval.
Clients of Nankhuni have been urged to observe up on their recordsdata and report any irregularities to the MLS. Furthermore, beneath part 44(1) of the Act, a suspended lawyer is legally required to rearrange for the right handover of all shopper paperwork and funds to a different authorized practitioner.
The suspension of Nankhuni is one more damning indictment of a occupation that ought to symbolize justice however is more and more being seen as a haven for misconduct. The public can be watching carefully to see whether or not the MLS is critical about cleansing up the authorized sector or if that is simply one other performative slap on the wrist whereas enterprise as typical continues behind closed doorways.
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