Woman claims police brutality
As police investigations into the recent Chilomoni incident where residents torched Chilomoni Police sub-Station over the death of Dyson Jojo is progressing, sister to the deceased Rose Malunga is lying in agony at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) on alleged police brutality.
Malunga told The Daily Times, yesterday, that four police officers-two of them from Blantyre Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID)-stormed her house around 1am last Friday where they demanded her arrest.
However, the Blantyre Police publicist Elizabeth Divala confirmed issuing an arrest warrant for Malunga on allegations that she torched the Chilomoni Police.
She said the police officers maintained that they would take her to police although she was only in a night dress.
Said Malunga: “That night we heard sudden barking of dogs. I told my son to go out and check what was happening. It was then that he found four people outside who showed us their identity cards that they were police officers from Blantyre Police Station. Two of them were armed and in uniform while the other two were CID officers.
“They told us that they wanted to take me to the station the same night a thing which my son protested against as it was too dark and we were not sure if indeed they were police officers. They beat up my son, tearing his clothes in the process. I remember my son fainted. They then tied us with a rope dragging us to their vehicle.”
She said upon reaching Blantyre Police Station, the Officer-in-Charge demanded that the two be taken to the hospital for treatment.
However, Divala confessed that the police went to Chilomoni where they were arresting suspects believed to have razed Chilomoni Station, saying Malunga and her son are some of the suspects.
She, however, refuted allegations that the police roughed up the two, saying that Malunga was injured as she fell down following resistance against arrest.
“That she has been beaten by police officers are mere speculations. The truth is that she was resisting arrest but the police were only trying to execute their duties. Both Rose Malunga and her son Madalitso are suspects and Madalitso beat up the police who were on duty. As he was doing that they both fell on the ground sustaining serious injuries in the process,” she said.
According to Divala the place where Malunga and her son Madalitso fell on had stones hence the two sustained such injuries.
“I must emphasise that the police did not beat up these people. How can our police officers beat up a woman?” she said.
Angry residents gutted down Chilomoni Police on May 21following the death of Jojo. The residents believed that Jojo was killed by some unknown police officers following disagreements at a drinking joint.
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