Joseph Kachingwe murder case adjourned to Dec 10

Advertisement
Albinos Malawi

The High Court of Malawi sitting in Phalombe on Thursday morning adjourned the case in which two people are answering the charge of murder of 12 year old boy with albinism, Joseph Kachingwe.

Kachingwe went missing on July 6, 2018 in Phalombe when he went with his friends for independence celebrations in the area of traditional authority Jenala and up to date is yet to be found and eight people were arrested in connection with the matter. Albinos Malawi

The hearing of the case started on 16th last month when the state through its prosecutors Samuel Chitsanga and Dziko ndi anthu Malunga applied that the case against first accused Humphrey Elia and second accused Mary Nankhuku who are the parents of the victim should be heard separately from the case against other six.

Lawyer Luciano Mekeyasi who is representing other two accused persons applied that the case against six suspects, third accused to eighth accused, should be heard by a separate Judge of which the court agreed in its ruling.

During the first hearing, Elia and Nankhuku pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder which prompted the state to parade four witnesses who testified against the two.

Then after the state closed its case against the two, Judge Justice Sylvester Kalembera adjourned the case to 15th November, 2018 for the accused to enter into the defence.

However, on Thursday when the court convened, Kalembera told the court that the legal aid lawyers who had been representing the two have told the court that they will only be representing the second accused since their stories are different.

“The legal aid bureau lawyers have told the court that as they were preparing for the defence they noted that the two accused persons have got two different stories and that therefore they will continue representing the second accused only while Malawi Law Society will be representing the first accused person,” the Judge told the court.

Kalembera then adjourned the matter to 10th December 2018 so as to give ample time to the first accused to find a new lawyer.

Advertisement