More arrests in Mphwiyo case
Police on Saturday arrested one more person in connection with the shooting of the Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo 10 days ago.
National Police deputy spokesperson Kelvin Maigwa was still in the dark yesterday but according to sources, Lingadzi Police arrested Dauka Manondo because he reportedly deposited K300 000 (852) into a bank account of one of the initial suspects McDonald Kumwembe.
He is reported to have told the police that he was sent to deposit the money by his brother Pika who is currently outside the country.
But there is confusion now on whether this fresh arrest brings the total to four or three suspects because as far as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is concerned, “there were only two suspects in the initial arrests.”
In an interview with The Nation yesterday, DPP Bruno Kalemba said: “I don’t think there was a third accused at all.”
“Because if there was any third accused, I would have been informed to deal with him just as I dealt with the two,” he said.
National Police publicist Rhoda Manjolo last week said investigators were “interviewing three people” in connection with attempted murder of Mphwiyo.
But Kalemba yesterday said: “I wouldn’t want to do more than I am mandated to do.”
On Thursday, Kalemba and police prosecutors took only two suspects to court where the State sought the court’s nod to detain the suspects for a further month and allow time for more investigations.
The suspects, Kumwembe and alleged accomplice Robert Kadzuwa, are now remanded at Maula Prison until October 16.
The State is following the progress of Mphwiyo’s health at Milpark Hospital in South Africa with keen interest as the charge against the two suspects is now dependent on developments there.
Kalemba told the court the accused are currently suspects of attempted murder “but it could change if the worst happened at the hospital in South Africa”.
Maigwa yesterday said there was no further details on the probe so far.
Other sources told The Nation that police would want to turn the initial “third” accused into a State witness.
Meanwhile, reports from South Africa indicate that Mphwiyo’s parents and sister are all in Johannesburg.
“The mother seems to not be handling it very well and weeps every time she enters the ward,” our source said.
