Suspect killed in police custody

all credits: Malawi News
published: 18th March 2011

Police say they have arrested a cop accused of assaulting a suspect who died in a police cell at Mulenga Police Unit in Zomba. Eastern Region Police spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa said the police officer, Morris Kantambe, has been charged with murder which attracts capital punishment as maximum penalty.

According to newspaper report, Emmanuel Kafere, 30, died in police cell and a post-mortem report revealed that he was stabbed in the head and sustained broken legs and an arm by the cop. Officer Kantambe, who was off-duty came to the station and learned that Kafere had stolen tobacco belonging to Sergeant Maere, head of the unit.

McLean Panje, a family member, told The Nation that they got a “very shocking post-mortem report” and were taking up the matter with the police. Panje told the paper that his nephew, was on Monday arrested by members of the community policing for criminal trespass at Mulenga Village along Jali Road

“According to the information we got from the police, there were three other suspects in the cell. At night, the three bolted and when the police came, they questioned Kafere on the whereabouts of his colleagues,” he said.

“When he said he did not know, apparently one officer, using a very sharp object, started assaulting him. The post-mortem report showed that there are two deep cuts on his forehead, broken legs and an arm and other stabs in his body.

“The officer also used a blunt object to hit the back of his head. The report indicates he died of internal bleeding.” Malawi police is well known for brutality to suspects in remand cells and during interrogations.

Kafere, who was discovered dead in the morning, was buried in Panje Village, T/A Chikowi in Zomba on Thursday.

Posted by Kushi Amlak-Sakhu on 20/03/2011. Filed under Police Brutality & Killings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry