Chizuma to testify in Buleya Lule murder case

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma is set to give testimony in her previous role as Ombudsman in the murder case of Buleya Lule, a suspect who died in police custody in 2019.

Defence lawyers representing the first suspect in the case yesterday informed the High Court of Malawi in Lilongwe that it intends to bring in the ACB chief as witness.

A Notice of Intention to call an additional witness dated November 30 2022 filed in the court and served to the State and other defence lawyers shows that Chizuma will be engaged as former Ombudsman, to be an additional witness for the first suspect in the matter Paul Chipole.

Reads the notice: “Take notice that the first defendant through his counsel shall seek leave from the honourable court to call an additional witness, Martha Chizuma, the former Ombudsman.”

Chizuma was part of the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) team that investigated the death of Lule following complaints from his relations that they were assaulted by police when they had gone to inquire about Lule’s death.

MHRC established that Lule was tortured while in police custody and his death was a result of the torture.

Senior assistant chief State advocate Dzikondianthu Malunda confirmed that the State has received the communication that the defence wants to call Chizuma as a witness.

He said: “We will scrutinise it and respond accordingly when the application is made.”

Lule died in police custody and the police arrested 13 police officers in connection with his death.

Lule was a suspect in the abduction of a 14-year-old boy with albinism in Dedza District. A post-mortem by pathologist Charles Dzamalala established that Lule was murdered with objects.

Police investigations into his death led to the arrest of the 13 police officers who pleaded not guilty to charges placed against them.

The High Court of Malawi later found 10 of the 13 police officers with a case to answer while the other three were acquitted.