Witness stalls July 20 murder case
A witness who refused to testify in the on-going murder case involving a police officer in the July 20 shootings on Thursday prompted the High Court in Lilongwe to adjourn.
The new date is yet to be set.
Another murder case in the same shootings—in which the accused is also a police officer—was adjourned by the same judge because the second police officer lacked legal representation.
The two officers, Stewart Lobo and Andrew Kamwala, are answering charges of manslaughter for their roles in the July 20 shootings three years ago.
Judge Fiona Mwale adjourned Lobo’s case for the witness, meant to be the fourth, to come and testify.
The court heard that the witness has been refusing to testify, prompting senior State advocate Tione Namanja to apply for a court warrant to force the witness to testify.
Meanwhile, Mwale adjourned Kamwala’s case for him to find a lawyer for a fair trial.
Lobo and Kamwala are accused of unlawfully causing the death of George Thekere at Chilinde and Edward Chingombe at Lumbadzi in Lilongwe during the protests.
The two cases are among 42 homicide trials taking place after a public inquiry in 2012 found that the decision by police officers to fire live bullets at demonstrators was irrational and without lawful justification.
The July 20 prosecutions have attracted accusations from international and local human rights organisations that government is reluctant to prosecute police officers involved in the killings.
Two weeks ago, for example, the United Nations (UN) asked Capital Hill to prosecute all alleged perpetrators of extrajudicial killings, complete expeditiously all the processes that have been already initiated, punish those who are convicted; protect, rehabilitate and compensate the victims.
