Delivering the ruling yesterday, High Court Judge Bruno Kalemba said the State had presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against Amos but failed to produce evidence strong enough to require Egnat to defend herself.
The murder trial of Agnes Katengeza has taken a new turn, with the High Court in Lilongwe ordering Amos Katengeza to enter his defence while his co-accused, Egnat Katengeza, has been acquitted.
“For Amos Katengeza, I find that the evidence adduced by the State establishes a prima facie case requiring him to enter his defence. On the other hand, the evidence adduced by the State against Egnat Katengeza is merely suspicion and this cannot form the basis of a conviction,” said Kalemba.
The judge consequently found Egnat with no case to answer and acquitted her.
Amos, the late Agnes’s half-brother and cousin, and Egnat, her sister, were arrested and jointly charged with murdering Agnes, a Network and Systems Administrator at the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM).
Agnes disappeared from her Area 49 home in Lilongwe on September 23, 2023. Her body was discovered the following day inside the spare wheel compartment of her official Kia Sportage, which had been abandoned behind Gateway Mall.
The State alleged that the murder was financially motivated, with the siblings accused of targeting her estate and pension benefits.
Amos was arrested in December 2023 after allegedly being found with some of Agnes’s electronic gadgets, including a laptop and an iPad.
The case has been adjourned for 14 days, after which Amos is expected to inform the court how he intends to present his defence.
