Six to answer murder charges on bloodsucking rumours
Six out of the 277 arrested vigilante mobs that allegedly went on rampage killing and damaging property over bloodsucking rumours have been charged with murder
Deputy National Police spokesperson, Thomek Nyaude, said that the number of suspects has increased from 200 to 277 after the police intensified their investigations.
He said that 257 cases have been registered in the Southern Region while 20 have been registered in the Eastern Region.
“The police have been carrying out operations on bloodsucking rumours after it emerged that some people took the law into their hands by destroying property belonging to people suspected to be bloodsuckers and others even committed murder in the process.
“Following the investigations, we found six people with charges of
murder to answer and they are just waiting to appear before the court anytime soon. Fifty-nine others are answering charges of malicious damage and inciting violence respectively.
Two others, he said, are answering charges of assault and unlawful wounding while four people have been charged with arson,” said Nyaude.
He added that, so far, 14 cases are in court in the Southern Region.
He said that five
people have already been sentenced by the courts.
Those arrested are from Chileka, Chilomoni, Machinjiri, and Kachere in Blantyre Mulanje, Phalombe and other districts in the Southern Region.
Nine people were killed since the rumour started.
Inspector General of the Malawi Police Services, Lexten Kachama, recently said police will not relent until everyone involved is brought to book.
Meanwhile, police in Mulanje have arrested 31-year-old Clement Chidowa for alleging that his blood was sucked.
Mulanje Police spokesperson, Gresham Ngwira said Chidowa, was arrested on Wednesday after medical report indicated that his blood level was normal and this contradicted his earlier statement.
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