Mistaken identity victim demands K10m payout
A Mzuzu-based man, who was detained for over a month in a bizarre case of mistaken identity in January, is demanding K10 million for unlawful arrest, inconvenience and defamation.
Lawrence Matemba was detained in Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Mulanje on suspicion that he was murder suspect SilizaniMatchado.
After walking free on February 23, he has engaged Kawelo Lawyers who have written Attorney General (AG)Charles Mhango demanding payouts for his suffering in police cells.
The arrest left Matemba unable to carry out his businesses and exposed him to hatred, contempt and ridicule, reads the notice of intended lawsuit dispatched on March 14 2018,
The lawyers write: “Despite insisting all along that he was not SilizaniMatchado, the police nonetheless proceeded to affect the arrest.
“Consequently our client spent one month in police custody at Mzuzu Police Station and was later transferred to Lilongwe Police Station where he spent seven days in custody. After which, he was further transferred to Mulanje Police Station when he also spent seven days in custody.”
The AG said in an interview that he receives many claims from law firms and warned them against “the habit of arguing their client’s cases through the media” before they go to court.
“The government is a huge machinery and its activities affect a lot of people. Obviously, some of those affected get aggrieved,” he said.
