The Malawi Police Service has today arrested 12 officers over the death of 44-year-old Buleya Lule.
The development comes a year after Lule, a suspect in the killing of a person with albinism, died in police custody.
According to Police spokesperson James Kadadzera, the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that all police officers implicated in the death of Buleya Lule be prosecuted.
“Meanwhile the 12 suspected police officers have been arrested in connection with the offence of murder. The officers will appear in court on Monday July 13, 2020,” Kadadzera said.
Buleya was arrested in February after suspects who admitted abducting Goodson Makanjira – a 14-year-old boy with albinism – told a court in Lilongwe that he (Buleya) promised to give them K800,000 for kidnapping the boy.
After appearing in court, Buleya was taken into police custody where he died. An autopsy conducted by pathologist report Dr Charles Dzamalala has revealed that Buleya was electrocuted.
The Malawi Human Rights Commission in its report last year condemned the police for torturing the victim.
The commission demanded the police to urgently institute criminal investigations of all police officers, who arrested the victim on 18th February, 2019; held him for interrogation; and in whose custody the victim was during the period when the Commission suspects the Victim died, to determine the role they played, if at all, leading to the death of the victim.
