The High Court in Lilongwe has granted an injunction to private practice lawyer Sylvester James Ayuba restraining anyone from acting on findings and recommendations of the Malawi Law Society (MLS) Disciplinary Committee which in August this year resolved to recommend to the Chief Justice that he be struck off the roll of legal practitioners for allegedly embezzling about K11.3 million of client Billy Matitha Gama.

According to the order for judicial review by Justice William Yakuwawa Msiska dated September 27 2023 which Nation Online has seen, the defendants should not act until the court has heard and determined the judicial review application.

In an interview Ayuba’s lawyer Gilbert Khonyongwa said the claimants are now waiting for the court to set a date to review the findings and the recommendations.

In a separate interview Ayuba James said : “l wasn’t heard before the decision was made. The committee never sent any summons for the disciplinary hearing to my lawyers. I owe this client no any penny and, if I were invited, i am sure the case against me would have been dismissed because it is the client who owes me money in unsettled legal fees.”

Details show that Ayuba James was engaged by Gama to represent him in a civil matter after one of his suppliers sued him and that Gama deposited K60 million into the lawyer’s account while waiting for reconciliation with the supplier.

Source:NPL