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| Student activist was murdered, Malawian inquiry rules | Student activist was murdered, Malawian inquiry rules |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A student activist and critic of the late Malawian president Bingu wa Mutharika was murdered and did not kill himself as police claimed, a commission of inquiry has found. | A student activist and critic of the late Malawian president Bingu wa Mutharika was murdered and did not kill himself as police claimed, a commission of inquiry has found. |
| The body of Robert Chasowa, 25, was found in a pool of blood at a student campus just over a year ago. Police said he had leaped to his death from a five-storey building and produced suicide notes as evidence. | The body of Robert Chasowa, 25, was found in a pool of blood at a student campus just over a year ago. Police said he had leaped to his death from a five-storey building and produced suicide notes as evidence. |
| But a postmortem suggested Chasowa had been struck on the back of the head with a blunt instrument. His family and supporters became convinced he was a victim of the increasingly intolerant Mutharika regime. | But a postmortem suggested Chasowa had been struck on the back of the head with a blunt instrument. His family and supporters became convinced he was a victim of the increasingly intolerant Mutharika regime. |
| The supreme court of appeal judge Andrew Nyirenda, who chaired a commission of inquiry, agreed on Tuesday that the suicide notes were faked. "The ultimate finding of the commission is that Robert Chasowa was murdered," he said. | The supreme court of appeal judge Andrew Nyirenda, who chaired a commission of inquiry, agreed on Tuesday that the suicide notes were faked. "The ultimate finding of the commission is that Robert Chasowa was murdered," he said. |
| The commission interviewed 94 witnesses, only four of whom came forward voluntarily, Nyirenda added. A postmortem examination report enabled the commission, which included a pathologist, "to determine, with a degree of certainty, the cause and circumstances of Robert Chasowa's death". | The commission interviewed 94 witnesses, only four of whom came forward voluntarily, Nyirenda added. A postmortem examination report enabled the commission, which included a pathologist, "to determine, with a degree of certainty, the cause and circumstances of Robert Chasowa's death". |
| The report will be made public by the end of the week. | The report will be made public by the end of the week. |
| Mutharika died of heart failure on 5 April, after which Joyce Banda was sworn in as president and began reversing many of his policies. She quickly ordered an inquiry into the death of Chasowa. | Mutharika died of heart failure on 5 April, after which Joyce Banda was sworn in as president and began reversing many of his policies. She quickly ordered an inquiry into the death of Chasowa. |
| While no details of the culprits were released, Banda said: "We can assure you that anyone responsible for the death of Robert Chasowa will face the full wrath of the law. We will leave nothing undone to ensure that justice is not only done but also seen to be done. | While no details of the culprits were released, Banda said: "We can assure you that anyone responsible for the death of Robert Chasowa will face the full wrath of the law. We will leave nothing undone to ensure that justice is not only done but also seen to be done. |
| "Let the blood of Robert Chasowa be a lesson to all, that taking human life is not a light issue." | "Let the blood of Robert Chasowa be a lesson to all, that taking human life is not a light issue." |
| Moses Kunkuyu, the information minister, told Malawi's Nyasa Times: "The outcome of the Robert Chasowa inquiry, and the confirmation, as many suspected, that Robert Chasowa was brutally murdered by the Bingu wa Mutharika regime, is a fresh reminder of the dark and dangerous days that the Malawi nation lived through just five months ago." | Moses Kunkuyu, the information minister, told Malawi's Nyasa Times: "The outcome of the Robert Chasowa inquiry, and the confirmation, as many suspected, that Robert Chasowa was brutally murdered by the Bingu wa Mutharika regime, is a fresh reminder of the dark and dangerous days that the Malawi nation lived through just five months ago." |
| Chasowa, an engineering student, was president of a youth rights group at the polytechnic in Blantyre. His purported suicide note read: "Something terrible is about to happen to me. Am sorry I never explained anything when I came last time… am sorry for the pain am about to cause. Have taken my life. Burn me up and give the ashes to Vivian." | Chasowa, an engineering student, was president of a youth rights group at the polytechnic in Blantyre. His purported suicide note read: "Something terrible is about to happen to me. Am sorry I never explained anything when I came last time… am sorry for the pain am about to cause. Have taken my life. Burn me up and give the ashes to Vivian." |
| Chasowa's father, Austin, told the Guardian earlier this year: "I've seen the postmortem report. It is not suicide. The truth is he was killed by politicians." | Chasowa's father, Austin, told the Guardian earlier this year: "I've seen the postmortem report. It is not suicide. The truth is he was killed by politicians." |
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