3 remanded at Zomba Prison for attacking Save The Children officials over blood sucking rumour

Malawi Police have arrested thirteen people and have since been remanded at Zomba Prison for allegedly inciting violence over a blood sucking rumor in Zomba.

Eastern Region Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Inspector Joseph Sauka confirmed on Wednesday.

Sauka said the suspects already appeared in court and are currently on remand since their case has been adjourned to 30th October 2017 inorder to give room to the state to warn its witnesses.

He said during the hearing, State Prosecutor Sergeant Louis Makiyi testified that the suspects mobilized themselves few days ago and attacked Save The Children Officials at Ndalama Health Centre where
the officials had gone to drop a Helth Surveillance Assistant (HSA) who was coming from a workshop.

They were accused of planning to terrorize the area through sucking blood.

Police came to the rescue as the mob were stoning the officials and arrested the 13 in the process.

Out of the thirteen, seven are minors.

All the suspects have pleaded not guilty to the charge of Conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Senior Resident Magistrate Wyson Nkhata has adjourned the case to 30^th October 2017.

All the suspects hails from T/A M’beza in the same district of Zomba.

In a related development, three others have also been remanded at Zomba after appearing in court where they are answering a charge of publication false stories and conducting themselves in a manner likely
to cause breach of peace.

The court through State Prosecutor Dickens Mwambazi heard that Lloyd Tchaka (22), Linda Lloyd (17) and Ndiuzani Mkwapatira (26) acted in a manner that could had led to chaos between 20th and 21st October 2017 by claiming that they had seen blood suckers in their area.

The trio is from Maduwani Village, T/A Nkaya in Balaka and their case will resume on 26th Ovtober 2017.

Meanwhile, Police Publicist Sauka has warned the general public against making unnecessary statement relating to Blood sucking.

“People should stop spreading these rumours which are bringing unnecessary fear and tension to the general public. They should also avoid taking the law into their own hands. When they catch any one
suspected to be involved in any criminal act, they hand him or her to police for prosecution” said Inspector Sauka.

The blood sucking rumors have costed lives of about ten innocent Malawians who were brutally killed in a form of mob justice.

The blood sucking rumors started from few Southern Region Districts of Phalombe, Chiradzuru, Thyolo and Mulanje before spreading to some parts of Blantyre, Zomba and Balaka.

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