Retirees funds: Law firm given 7 days ultimatum
THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has given Robinson Malipenga & Company a seven-day ultimatum to respond to allegations of illegal deductions of retirees’ money failure to which the legal practitioners’ committee would go ahead and determine the case in his absence.
A breakaway group of retirees from the Voluntary Separatees Association of Zambia (VSAZ) led by former general secretary Syachoke Simemeza two weeks ago reported its former lawyer, Malipenga & Company, to LAZ for alleged illegal deductions of their dues amounting to over K2 million.
The over 3000 retirees demanded that LAZ must take action against the law firm over the alleged illegal deductions of their dues.
In a letter dated January 29, 2018, which Mr. Syachoke and addressed to the LAZ legal practitioners’ committee, the retirees want the legal firm to be stricken off the row of practitioners for alleged unprofessional misconduct and on account of the money received on their behalf by the lawyer since 2014.
“I further urge the committee to order the said lawyer to account for all the money he has received from the Attorney General in the aforesaid cases since January 4, 2014 when I appointed him to act for us,” reads the letter in part.
In a letter dated February 12, 2018 addressed to Robinson Malipenga & Company and copied to Mr. Syachoke, legal practitioners’ committee administrative assistant Sipelile Mwilwa Nyirenda said the committee had received a complaint against him to which he was supposed to respond within seven days.
“”Please find attached herewith copy of a complaint received against yourselves. Kindly let us have two copies of your response within the next seven days from the date hereof. Please note that the committee may proceed to hear and determine the compliant in the absence of your response.
“Also note that the committee will be sitting on March 16, 2018. You will receive summons in due course,” reads the letter in part.