By Pemphero Malimba:
The Principal Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe has remanded three men to Maula Prison, who are being accused of murdering five residents of Area 25 in the city, to allow the State to complete its investigations.
The court made the ruling Wednesday.
The first accused, Felix Magaleta, and the second accused, Adam Tsoka, have been formally charged with five counts of murder, while the third accused, Dyson Sinedi, has been charged with one count of murder.
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Principal Resident Magistrate Benjamin Chulu made the order after State prosecutor, Central West Region Prosecution Officer Dalireni Kalanguluka, asked the court to allow the state 30 days to complete its investigations.
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“You will be committed to the High Court after the State completes its investigations. The court allows the State 30 days to investigate the case, and afterwards you will be taken to the High Court,” Chulu informed the accused.
During his submission, Kalanguluka said the State wanted to use the 30 days to conduct thorough investigations and allow the case to be committed to the High Court.
“As a matter of procedure, this case may not be heard in this court. We have come here so that the accused can be formally charged and so that the murder investigations, which are yet to be completed, can progress,” Kalanguluka told the court.
Earlier in the day, Senior Resident Magistrate Wanangwa Nyirenda remanded the first and second accused to prison for seven days on a count of aggravated robbery.
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The two are accused of robbing Brian Thondoya of two mobile phones before allegedly murdering him.
“We request seven days to conclude our investigation because much still needs to be done. We have yet to recover the stolen items, although Magaleta has indicated willingness to surrender them, so we need them remanded for seven working days,” Kalanguluka told the court.
Nyirenda agreed with the State, noting that the law provides the court with the power to grant up to 30 days for the completion of investigations.
The three accused are suspected of involvement in the murders of Thondoya, Promise Spider, Anthony Banda, Peter Chalusa and Mussa Tondo.
The suspects, who were arrested last weekend, are alleged to have committed the offences between May and July this year.
The murder of the five victims caused fear among residents of Area 25 and led to accusations of security lapses in the area.
Following the arrests, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, Michael Kaiyatsa, said there was a need for police to intensify patrols to curb the acts.
