DPP youth leader, accomplice out on bail

The High Court in Blantyre has granted bail to assistant director of youth for the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Southern Region Godfrey Mussa and his accomplice after they were charged with murder contrary to Section 209 of the Penal Code.

Mussa and his partner Madalitso Kamwiri were arrested late last month on suspicion that they murdered 28-year-old Peter Kagulo, a resident of Chilobwe Township in Blantyre after a drinking spree.

In his bail ruling, among other conditions, Justice Kenyatta Nyirenda ordered the two to pay K10 000 cash bond each, K10 000 non-cash bond, report to police every fortnight on Mondays and surrender their travel documents to police.

Justice Nyirenda also directed that each time the two wish to travel out of the country, they should inform police about their destination and duration of stay.

Police arrested the suspects after they recovered a cellphone belonging to the deceased, which was then being allegedly used by Mussa’s girlfriend in Machinjiri Township, according to Blantyre Police spokesperson Elizabeth Divala.

Divala told The Nation in an earlier interview that the incident occurred on June 10 this year when the suspects were requested by a social joint owner in Blantyre to take the deceased to Blantyre Police Station because he was too drunk to walk home.

“However, the suspect did not take him to police. The deceased arrived home injured on the head and without clothes, phone and shoes.”

Divala said Kagulo was immediately taken to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital where he died while receiving treatment. He was buried the following day in Mwanza District.

Not satisfied with the circumstances of their relative’s death, family members requested for a post-mortem, which revealed that the deceased died due to brain damage resulting from assault with blunt objects.

The police spokesperson said the deceased’s wife reported to Soche Police the items which her husband lost that fatal night, which included a Samsung phone.

“Investigations were launched and the phone was recovered from Mussa’s girlfriend [name withheld] in Machinjiri. When she was interrogated, she said she got it from him,” said Divala.

Mussa comes from Jolo Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Bvumbwe in Thyolo District while Kamwiri is from Ziyaya Village, T/A Kanduku in Mwanza.