Africa-Press – Malawi. The Second State witness in the case of the late Buleya Lule, Detective Sub Inspector Innocent Kasambala, Tuesday implicated fellow police officers in the alleged murder of the victim.
Kasambala told the court that, in 2019, he saw some police officers assaulting Lule with pangas at Chitsime Police Unit in Lilongwe, where the victim was first sent for questioning. The witness also told the court that he knew eight of the 13 suspected police officers.
“I can tell this court that the officers started beating Lule after he denied having a hand in the killing of a person with albinism even though the other suspects were alleging [that] it was Lule who had the boy,” Kasambala said.
“Lule was laid down, with his pair of trousers pulled down, while they were beating him at the back and buttocks. Lule was crying loudly, saying mundivulazilanji ine? Sindikudziwapo kanthu [Why are you killing me? I am innocent],” he added.
Another witness was Criminal Investigations Department (CID) former director Stan Chaima. Chaima told the court that Lule was cooperative when questioning him but said he later discovered that the suspect was stressed. He said Lule was able to explain some of the things personally even before the police could ask him.
“For instance, he was quick to tell the police that he had two phones; one with the Airtel line and the other with the TNM line. Lule explained that he was into the dry fish business and denied having a car or owning a driver’s licence,” Chaima said.
He said he noted that Lule was stressed and when he asked him about what was wrong, he told them that he was worried because he was implicated in the killing of a person with albinism.
“It was on February 20 2019 when I got a call, informing me that Lule had died. I also received a phone call from the then inspector general (of Police) asking me if I knew anything about the pictures that were circulating on social media about Lule with wounds in buttocks,” Chaima said.
According to Chaima, police officers who were with Lule denied knowledge of pictures that were circulating. One of the defence lawyers, Director of Legal Aid Bureau Masauko Chamkakala, said case-hearing was progressing well.
“Slowly but surely we are progressing in this case. Tomorrow the State will parade other witnesses and we are there to cross-examine them,” Chamkakala said.
Judge Dorothy DeGabriele has adjourned the case to Wednesday, June 30 2021. Lule was arrested for allegedly abducting and murdering 14-year-old boy with albinism Goodson Fanizo in Dedza District.
