A court in Lilongwe has ordered that three suspects in the death of 23-year-old Kottana Chidyaonga should continue to be kept in custody.
The three, Timothy Mtilosanje (28), Gilbert Kamaliza (29) and Diana Bhagwanji (23), were today ordered by the Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe to go back to prison as the state works on paperwork to commit the case to the High Court.
They will be on remand up to 4 February, 2020 when the committal process is expected to be completed.
The state through Prosecutor Inspector Griffin Luhanga pleaded with the court to give them a one-month period to commit the case but the defence counsel comprising; Counsel Charles Mhone, Manuel Theu and Khwima Nchizi pleaded for one week.
Mtilosanje, Bhagwanji and Kamaliza were arrested last week after an autopsy revealed that Chidyaonga who died earlier this month was killed with termik and not due to a snake bite as earlier claimed.
On January 3, Chidyaonga was at Mtilosanje’s house together with Bhagwanji. It was claimed that she was bitten by a snake on the veranda of the house.
Moments after the incident, Chidyaonga started feeling itching on the inner medial aspect of the right foot and later on, she complained of experiencing lightheadedness.
It was at this moment that she was rushed to Polyclinic for treatment before being referred to Kamuzu central hospital where she died upon arrival.
