Thugs haunt Law Society
Unidentified thugs on Friday night broke into the Blantyre-based law firm of John-Gift Mwakhwawa, president of the Malawi Law Society (MLS), and went away with a computer and printer.
The incident has puzzled Mwakhwawa as it happened a week after the MLS secretariat in Blantyre was also broken into and two computers and other office materials were stolen. Coincidentally, both incidents happened on a Friday night.
Both offices are based in the commercial city’s low density suburb of Namiwawa, but are four blocks apart.
In an interview yesterday, Mwakhwawa said two guards were taken behind the office building and told to keep quiet as a gang of roughly 15 made its way into the office through a window.
“The guards have reported that the robbers parked their vehicle outside the building. I have reported the matter to [Blantyre] police. It is confusing, but I cannot speculate. There is no development on the first case so far,” said Mwakhwawa.
He said the funny thing was that there was petty cash in his office of more than K2 000 (about $5), but the robbers only removed K1 000 (about $3).
In last week’s attack on MLS secretariat, the organisation’s executive secretary Paula Caetano said two guards were tied before the robbers made their way in.
Just like Mwakhwawa, Caetano refused to speculate.
MLS was established by the Constitution to help guide the public on matters of law. On a number of issues, the organisation has been critical of government’s decisions.
The body sometimes takes positions on social issues requiring interpretation of the law, in addition to other core responsibilities such as disciplining its members and ensuring professionalism.
