Neno murder suspects plead not guilty
The ten Neno murder suspects arrested on Wednesday,have all pleaded not guilty to murder charges. The ten appeared before Neno Second Grade Magistrate Court yesterday.
They are; Staford Chifundo, aged 36, Amosi Sida, 32, Samuel Kaudzu, 20, John Harry, 21, Lex Mayenda, 19, Manford Dyson, 15, Patrick Kanjete, 14, Lyton Silence, 15, Ben Saukila, 14 and Eliya Mapeto aged 13. Neno Second Grade Magistrate’s court has put on remand ten suspects in the murder of four elderly people at Chimbalanga village in Traditional Authority Dambe in the district.
Presiding over the case, Magistrate Daniel Dzowela said the ten will be sent to various prisons according to their ages as hearing on the case continues.
Police arrested the ten suspects on Wednesday following information they got from one witness to the killings who was hospitalised at Neno hospital after he was severely beaten by the mob as he tried to rescue the deceased from the mob.
The four elderly people were brutally murdered on Monday by an irate mob that suspected that they practiced witchcraft and were behind the death of their granddaughter who was struck by lightning.
President Peter Mutharika, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Malawi Law Society (MLS) have since condemned the killings.
