‘I abducted my albino stepson’

A stepfather to Goodson Makanjira, a boy with albinism who was abducted last week in Dedza, has pleaded guilty to the boy’s abduction. He said he was duped by a man who offered him K800 000 for the 14-year-old boy.

The man, Kumbilani Patson of Chiwala Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiseka in Lilongwe, was a major suspect in the teenager’s abduction.

Goodson’s mother, told our sister newspaper Nation on Sunday that she first met Patson at Mitundu Trading Centre but he only proposed recently and they moved in together three weeks ago before separating two weeks later.

Patson told a jam-packed Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court yesterday that he and two other accomplices abducted Goodson, although the police are charging six people for the abduction.

He said: “I am guilty of the abduction. I did it because I was tricked that there was money. He said he would give us K800 000, so I accepted the deal and managed to get the boy and we gave the boy to him [pointing at Buleya] at night, alive.”

Patson claimed it was Buleya, whom he pointed at in court, who told them that he knew the market for people with albinism.

“They drove off with the boy, leaving us there promising to get back to us for the cash later. We knew that there was danger; that the boy would be killed, but we did it for money,” he said.

The second accused, who also pleaded guilty, is Sainani Kalekeni who comes from Chimphanga Village, T/A Chanza in Lilongwe.

Kalekeni also narrated the story of promises of money by Buleya who seems to have been a middleman.

However, Patson and Kalekeni have exonerated three other accused persons: Lukas Kagomo, 36, Katiya Mizeck, 42, and Wiskes Gana telling the court that they have been victimised for allowing the use of their phones to make calls on the abduction without their knowledge.

However, the fifth accused person, Buleya, pleaded not guilty to the charge and accusations by the first and second accused, saying they were lying and just wanted to tarnish his image.

He also denied knowledge of the two, saying they could not even locate where he stays at Mitundu Trading Centre.

Though he denied the allegations vehemently, Buleya’s words and actions did not match as he on several occasions seemed to indicate that he was going to faint, repeatedly asked for water and lay on the floor, saying he was feeling dizzy.

Principal resident magistrate Viva Nyimba, however, said he would not release any of the six accused, considering the sensitivity and seriousness of the matter and also because investigations are still ongoing.

He then ordered that the second accused, Kalekeni, be taken to hospital because he seemed to have a fractured leg incurred during his arrest.

Senior regional prosecutions officer of Police (Centre) Cecilia Zangazanga has since asked the court for 30 more days to conclude the investigations as the boy is yet to be found yet.

The six are facing charges of abducting in order to murder contrary to Section 261 of the Penal Code; and unlawful wounding contrary to Section 24 of the Penal Code.

The case has since been adjourned to March 22 to allow police finalise its investigations.