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Chasowa case still under probe

Nkhata: You need to investigate first
Nkhata: You need to investigate first

Several months after suspects were arrested in connection with the death of a student activist Robert Chasowa, trial is yet to start and suspects have since had their bail conditions eased.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regional governor (South) Noel Masangwi was one of the people arrested in October last year in connection with the case after government had set up a commission of inquiry.

Masangwi and fellow suspects have been on bail since then.

Commenting on progress made, Kalekeni Kaphale, lawyer representing Masangwi, said in an interview on Saturday it was not up to him to push it.

He said: “We are only defending the case, not prosecuting it. It’s up to the prosecution to disclose when the case would commence.”

Kaphale: We are only defending the case
Kaphale: We are only defending the case

And in a written response, Malawi’s Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Apoche Itimu said the State is still investigating the matter.

In a single-sentence response, Itimu said: “The matter is still under investigation, it will come before court once investigations are done.”

But Chancellor College dean of law Mwiza Nkhata said on Sunday it was wrong to arrest the suspects before investigations were completed.

“You need to investigate first and then make arrests later,” he said.

Nkhata added that the only time when one is arrested before investigations is when he or she has been found committing a crime.

The suspects have had their bail conditions eased.

Itimu: The Matter still under investigation
Itimu: The Matter still under investigation

When granting bail to Masangwi and others, the High Court in Blantyre ordered that each of them should deposit with the court K200 000 [$500] cash, and should have two sureties and each should deposit with the court K250 000 [$625] cash.

The court also ordered that they should be reporting to police twice a week.

But money for sureties has been returned and the suspects will be reporting to police twice a month.

Chasowa, a Polytechnic student, was found dead on campus in September 2011.

Earlier reports claimed that Chasowa fell from the top floor of the college building, but a postmortem revealed that he was murdered.

President Joyce Banda instituted a commission of inquiry soon after ascending to power to establish circumstances leading to the death of Chasowa. This led to the arrest of nine people, including Masangwi, whose case is stalling.

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