2 in court over Chasowa’s death

Two people suspected to have had a hand in the death of fourth-year Polytechnic student Robert Chasowa were on Tuesday committed to the High Court by the Blantyre Magistrate’s Court.

This development comes when police have been saying such arrests cannot be made while other inquiries on the same case are in progress, arguing that the suspects who were picked recently were involved in the July 19 2012 panga-wielding saga.

The Nation earlier learnt that police in Blantyre on July 13 2012 arrested the two suspects, Geoffrey Botomani and Petro Tembo, detained them at Soche Police for some days before they were taken to Chichiri Prison.

National police spokesperson Davie Chingwalu wondered how police could make such arrests when a commission of inquiry and an inquest into Chasowa’s death were not completed.

The suspects’ lawyer, Chancy Gondwe, has filed a bail application at the High Court in Blantyre where the matter has been committed.

Said Gondwe on Wednesday: “We have filed a bail application at the High Court. We are waiting to be given a date to have our bail application heard. My clients are accused of having a hand in the murder of Mr. Chasowa.”

Meanwhile, Malawi Law Society (MLS) president John-Gift Mwakhwawa on Wednesday said there is no illegality for police to make the arrests while other inquiries are underway.

Mwakhwawa said the two investigations are independent of police investigations, arguing law-enforcers cannot leave suspected criminals scot-free because there is an inquiry going on.

An autopsy by College of Medicine in Blantyre last year showed Chasowa died from assault to his head inflicted by a blunt instrument or instruments rather than a fall as was earlier claimed by the police that he had committed suicide by jumping from a building at the campus.

He was found dead at the college in September 2011.