Former President Peter Mutharika and former secretary to president and cabinet Lloyd Muhara appealed to the High Court for a review of K69.5 million legal fees which they were ordered to pay last year but the court has dismissed their application and has hit the two with K2.3 million in fresh legal bill.
Mutharika and Muhara were ordered to pay K69.5 million legal bill over the case in which they were faulted for attempting to send the Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda on leave.
The two argued that the legal bill was high but the High Court in Lilongwe has thrown out their application with costs.
The court has told them to pay K2.3 million legal fees within 30 days.
On June 12, the Mutharika administration through Muhara wrote Nyirenda SC and Justice Edward Twea asking them to go on leave pending retirement. Muhara claimed that Nyirenda had accumulated over 500 days of leave.
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition, the Magistrate’s Association and the Malawi Law Commission challenged the move in court and applied for a judicial review on the decision.
In his ruling last year, Judge Mkandawire said Mutharika and Muhara interfered with roles of Judiciary since the issue of leave is handled by the Judiciary. He ordered Mutharika and Muhara to pay costs for the case.
The two paid the K69.5 million earlier this year.
