The High Court in Lilongwe Friday convicted six out of 10 police officers who were being suspected of killing Buleya Lule in police custody in 2019.
Delivering his ruling on Friday, Judge Chifundo Kachale said the court proved beyond reasonable grounds that the six were involved in the murder.
They are Paul Chipole, Ikram Malata, Richard Kalawire, Innocent Lwanda, Maxwell Mbuzi and Abel Maseya.
The court has also acquitted four other officers in the matter.
The four acquitted are former commissioner of Police Evelista Mvula Chisale, Steven Mashonga, Wallen Joshua Chavinda and Chifundo Chiwambo.
“It was clear that there was an enterprise to extract a confession,” Kachale said.
Chipole and others have also been convicted of a charge of negligence of duty and the charge of causing bodily harm.
According to the judgement, the police officers failed to ensure that the suspect was not subjected to harm while in police custody.
Reacting to the verdict, state lawyer Dzikondianthu Malunda welcomed the ruling.
One of the lawyers who represented the accused, Luwano Mwawutwa, said he would still fight for those that have been convicted.
“We respect the court judgement, and we will see what happens when the court meets in January,” he said.
Police investigations into Lule’s death led to the arrest of the 13 police officers, who pleaded not guilty to charges levelled against them.
The courtroom was packed fully as legal representatives, family members, and members of the public gathered to hear the court’s decision.
Lule died in police custody in 2019 under mysterious circumstances after being accused of abducting a boy with albinism in Dedza District.
In September 2022, the court found others –Ronex Kapesa, Robert Tchaka and Dereck Mitswati – with no case to answer on the counts of murder.
The case has been adjourned to January 8, 2024, for sentencing.
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