Four more police officers have been arrested in Lilongwe in connection with the death of protesters during the July 20 2011 anti-government demonstrations.
This follows the arrests of five police officers in Blantyre on Sunday in connection with the death of two people in Blantyre’s Ndirande Township during similar demonstrations.
National Police Headquarters deputy spokesperson Kelvin Maigwa in an interview yesterday confirmed the Lilongwe arrests and identified the officers as Sub-Inspector Kamwala of Lumbadzi Police Station, Sergeant Makokezi of B Company, Sergeant Kanyama from Mchinji and Constable Lobo of Kawale Police Station.
Maigwa said the four were being held at Lilongwe Police Station awaiting court appearance.
He said police were working hand in hand with Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) on the matter.
Meanwhile, the five arrested in Blantyre did also not appear in court yesterday as indicated earlier, according to Southern Region Police Headquarters publicist Nicholas Gondwa, who disclosed in an interview that the matter has been handed over to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The five arrested in Blantyre, all from Ndirande Police Sub-Station, are Paul Mussa, Kelvin Nyirenda, Benedicto Dzombe, Mahomed Kulusinje and Lemekezo Mikuti.
A high-powered team from the National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe travelled to Blantyre and arrested the officers on Sunday.
During the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2011, 20 citizens were killed when police, nationwide, confronted the unarmed demonstrators using excessive force and opened fire at them when they took to the streets to protest against shortages of fuel, foreign exchange and poor governance.
A commission of inquiry instituted by Mutharika, but whose results came out in July 2012 under the administration of President Joyce Banda who ascended to power following Mutharika’s death, faulted the police for the deaths and called for investigation and prosecution of those involved.
