Citizens for Transformation Movement (CFT), has lodged a formal complaint to the Legal Practice Council (LPC) of South Africa against the Mboweni Maluleke Incorporated Attorneys over what it calls irregular contract with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

On April 13, Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda rejected MEC’s application for the admission of two South African lawyers who charged MEC about K600 million to represent the commission in the presidential elections appeal case.

According to Communications and Public Relations officer for CFT, Negracious Al-Majjiduh Justin, the South African legal firm charged exorbitant legal fees a development which is against the tariff regulations in the law industry.

Justin said CFT is anticipating the Council to summon the two lawyers, Dumisa Buhle Ntsebeza and Elizabeth Makhabani Baloyi-Mere, to question them on the said unreasonable legal fees.

Justin said: “Basically LPC is a regulatory body that regulates legal profession that side and according to its own rules the legal practitioners that side are required to render statements of account when they transact with a client so we are relying on those rules that the council can call the attorneys and ask them to provide the statement of account.”

He further said CFT wants LPC to asses if the charges that the attorneys gave MEC were reasonable and if not then proper action can be taken.

Reports indicate that MEC paid the legal film 50 percent of the total amount charged.

But reacting to the development, MEC`s Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa, has trashed the assertions saying the electoral body did do pay any sum to the South African legal firm.