Pathologist Steve Kamiza of Kamiza Pathology Laboratories, who conducted a postmortem on late Vice President Saulos Chilima, has submitted the autopsy report to the family and authorities, we have learnt.
Kamiza was chosen by Chilima’s family to conduct the postmortem on the UTM founding leader following a military plane crash that killed him and eight others, including former first lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri, in Chikangawa Forest on June 10.
Responding to a question from The Daily Times on Wednesday night, Kamiza confirmed that he had completed and submitted the autopsy report.
A postmortem examination, also known as an autopsy, is the examination of a body after death, aimed at determining the cause of death.
When asked whether the family would share the contents of the report with the public, considering Chilima’s stature in society, a family representative, Ben Chilima, said he would need to check if the report was in.
According to Ben Chilima, the family is still in mourning, and they will need to review the contents of the report before making any decision.
“We will inform you at an appropriate time,” he said.
In an interview on Wednesday, government spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu stated that it is standard practice for the police or the military to conduct autopsies on bodies of accident victims.
Kunkuyu mentioned that autopsies were conducted on all the bodies of the crash victims.
“The VP’s family requested an independent autopsy by a private pathologist. A private pathologist was selected by the family and the Shanil Dzimbiri family also chose their own pathologist. The government covered the costs,” Kunkuyu said.
He added that the autopsy reports by the police and military are for their internal use as standard practice, but are available for other important purposes when required.
The minister further stated that families have unrestricted access to the autopsy results and can share them with other family members if they deem it necessary.
“The government will only make the results of the autopsy public if it serves a national interest and ensures the dignity of the deceased,” Kunkuyu summed up.
Since the day of the plane crash, various theories have emerged regarding the cause of death of the nine.
This has prompted numerous groups, including the family, Catholic bishops and President Lazarus Chakwera, to call for a thorough investigation into the incident.
On Saturday, a team of three plane crash investigators arrived in the country to probe the potential cause of the incident.
The team includes an expert from General Atomics, a company that has taken over the manufacturing of Dornier 228s, and two other experts from the German Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigations.
Public Affairs Committee spokesperson Bishop Gilford Matonga said on Monday that they want the experts to work independently without interference from the government and undue pressure from the public.
