High Court has reduced from MK255.6 million to MK70.8 million the legal fees to be paid to Women Lawyers Association (WLA) who represented women and girls who were raped by police officers at Msundwe and Mbwatalika in Lilongwe.
In his ruling High Court Judge Justice Kenyatta Nyirenda said the K255.6 million sum was unreasonable.
In an interview with Zodiak Online, Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda who disputed the initial costs has expressed satisfaction with the ruling saying tax payers’ money will be saved.
Meanwhile, the Women Lawyers Association (WLA) is yet to make a comment on the development.
In 2019, several women and girls from Msundwe, M’bwatalika and Mpingu trading centres in Lilongwe were allegedly sexually abused by some police officers who were deployed to restore order in the area following a political fracas.
Members of the community had earlier killed in cold blood a police officer at a roadblock that the mob had mounted to stop people from attending a presidential function.
In August last year, the High Court ordered the government to compensate all the victims following a separate probe done by various rights groups.
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