President Lazarus Chakwera and the Ministry of Homeland Security are facing a defamation lawsuit filed by former presidential aide Pastor Martin Thom.
Thom was dismissed in 2021 following allegations of smuggling a bill to Parliament. However, the High Court of Malawi has since ruled in his favour, stating that his arrest was unlawful and his dismissal unfair.
Thom seeks damages of up to K1.6 billion. His lawyer, Sylvester Ayuba James, stated that the accusation leading to Thom’s arrest was unfounded, resulting in his unfair dismissal and loss of opportunities,” reports the Nation Newspaper.
Pastor Thom is now waiting for the court to determine the damages he’s entitled to due to being wrongfully arrested and unfairly dismissed from his position. This comes after High Court Judge Simeon Mdeza ruled in his favour with a summary judgment back in August this year.
In cases like this, the court typically considers various factors to calculate damages, such as immediate loss, future loss, manner of dismissal, and loss of protection.
Meanwhile, the High Court has set December 10, 2024, for the hearing.
