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| Malawian former presidential aide arrested over student activist's murder | Malawian former presidential aide arrested over student activist's murder |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A former aide to Malawi's late president Bingu wa Mutharika is among six men who have been arrested over the murder of a student activist initially said by police to have killed himself. | A former aide to Malawi's late president Bingu wa Mutharika is among six men who have been arrested over the murder of a student activist initially said by police to have killed himself. |
| Noel Masangwi, a high-ranking official in the Democratic Progressive party (DPP), was detained in a pre-dawn raid over the killing of Robert Chasowa, a critic of Mutharika's government. | Noel Masangwi, a high-ranking official in the Democratic Progressive party (DPP), was detained in a pre-dawn raid over the killing of Robert Chasowa, a critic of Mutharika's government. |
| Chasowa, who studied engineering, was found dead at a college campus in Blantyre in September last year. Police said he had jumped to his death from a five-storey building and produced bogus suicide notes as evidence. | Chasowa, who studied engineering, was found dead at a college campus in Blantyre in September last year. Police said he had jumped to his death from a five-storey building and produced bogus suicide notes as evidence. |
| But a judge-led inquiry ordered by the president, Joyce Banda, who succeeded Mutharika after his death in April, ruled that Chasowa had in fact been murdered. Banda promised that the culprits would "face the full wrath of the law". | But a judge-led inquiry ordered by the president, Joyce Banda, who succeeded Mutharika after his death in April, ruled that Chasowa had in fact been murdered. Banda promised that the culprits would "face the full wrath of the law". |
| The arrested men include Stanford Horea, a police officer, Mike Chitenje, a leading boxing promoter and DPP member, and Lewis Ngaland, the DPP's director of youth. The DPP youth wing was accused of using violence and intimidation against Mutharika's opponents. | The arrested men include Stanford Horea, a police officer, Mike Chitenje, a leading boxing promoter and DPP member, and Lewis Ngaland, the DPP's director of youth. The DPP youth wing was accused of using violence and intimidation against Mutharika's opponents. |
| Kelvin Maigwa, a police spokesman, said the arrested people were likely to be charged with murder, which carries a maximum sentence of death. "The operation is ongoing," he added. | Kelvin Maigwa, a police spokesman, said the arrested people were likely to be charged with murder, which carries a maximum sentence of death. "The operation is ongoing," he added. |
| Chasowa, the chairman of a student activist group, Youth for Democracy (YFD), had published anti-government leaflets before his death. | Chasowa, the chairman of a student activist group, Youth for Democracy (YFD), had published anti-government leaflets before his death. |
| When he died, police produced two alleged suicide notes and a postmortem report to support their claim that he had taken his own life. But the pathologist Charles Dzamalala, who conducted the autopsy, found that Chasowa had been bludgeoned to death. | When he died, police produced two alleged suicide notes and a postmortem report to support their claim that he had taken his own life. But the pathologist Charles Dzamalala, who conducted the autopsy, found that Chasowa had been bludgeoned to death. |
| Chasowa's father, Austin, welcomed the arrests. He told Malawi's Daily Times newspaper on Thursday: "Robert was killed. The same people who denied that Robert had been killed are the suspects now. I don't know who to trust. The state lied to me. | Chasowa's father, Austin, welcomed the arrests. He told Malawi's Daily Times newspaper on Thursday: "Robert was killed. The same people who denied that Robert had been killed are the suspects now. I don't know who to trust. The state lied to me. |
| "But of course I am glad and relieved in the way things are moving. I want to know what crime Robert committed to deserve such a brutal death. That is what I am interested in; not compensation." | "But of course I am glad and relieved in the way things are moving. I want to know what crime Robert committed to deserve such a brutal death. That is what I am interested in; not compensation." |
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