Police arrest suspect in Portuguese murder case

Police in Blantyre have arrested one of the suspected criminals who shot dead a 67-year-old Portuguese businessperson, Serafim Fernando da Silva, outside his office entrance at Manja light industrial site in Blantyre.

Blantyre Police spokesperson Elizabeth Divala said in an interview yesterday the suspect has been identified as 28-year-old Ziwani Jassi of Chiwalo Village, T/A Kapeni in Blantyre.

“He was arrested in Blantyre on Friday night following a tip from an informant and he has been charged with murder and robbery with violence contrary to Sections 209 and 301 of the Penal Code respectively,” said Divala.

She said police separately invited the deceased’s wife and son, who were present when the deceased was shot, and that they both identified the suspect.

According to police, indicators show the armed robbers are believed to be the same who also hacked to death a Rwandese national and attacked his family in Chigumula before stealing household property two weeks ago.

The robbers have reportedly been using two firearms and panga knives and driving a Toyota Corolla VVTI while changing number plates one of them being BS 9292.

Meanwhile, police in Blantyre on Friday night also arrested 83 people for being suspected of committing various crimes in the city.

Divala said the 83 have been charged with various offences such as being found in possession of property suspected to have been stolen, house-breaking and theft, defilement, rogue and vagabond, and touting.

There has been a string of aggravated armed robberies within the country’s three major cities forcing government to assure Malawians that police were on high alert to deal with the rising cases of attacks.