Police in Chiradzulu district have arrested five women who are suspected to have damaged the house of 79-year-old Raphael Augustino over witchcraft accusations.
The suspects were arrested in the morning of June 1, 2022 during a joint operation by officers from Namitambo and Chiradzulu Police Station.
Sergeant Innocent Moses, Public Relations Officer for Chiradzulu Police station, said the five have been identified as Ellen Pensulo, 74, Sellina Malenga, 20, Alinane Mpulura, 25, Esther Eferemu, 51, and Dorothy Mulenga, 30, all from Chalamanda Village, Traditional Authority Mpunga in Chiradzulu.
Moses said the suspects stormed the victim’s residence after one of their children claimed that the old man was responsible for teaching him witchcraft.
The suspects also accused the man of having a hand in the death of his nephews through witchcraft.
In the process, the angry suspects damaged the window panels and the door of Mulenga’s house before fleeing.
The matter was reported at Namitambo Police Unit who joined forces with detectives from Chiradzulu Police Station and visited the scene of incident.
Police also apprehended all suspects the same day.
The suspects will appear before court to answer the charges of malicious damage which contravene section 344(1) of the Penal Code.
