Judge advises Catholic priest to seek new lawyer: Masambuka case adjourns to May 6

A High Court judge  in Zomba  Zione Ntaba on Tuesday was not happy that Catholic priest Thomas Muhosha’s  new  defence attorney Louis Bande did not turn up  for  hearing of a case in the murder of Mac Donald Masambuka, a person with albinism killed in Machinga last year.

Muhosha is one of the 12 suspects found with a case to answer in January and  faces the charge of transacting in human tissue.

Legal Aid Bureau’s lawyer Trouble Kalua, who is representing nine suspects in the case, while acknowledging that Muhosha has a right to be represented by a private lawyer, said further adjournments of the case were delaying justice on the matter.

On his part, Timothy Chirwa, lawyer representing clinician Lumbani Kamanga and Luckiness Magombo, observed that since the commencement of the case, Muhosha has changed lawyers twice.

Prosecution lawyer Steven Kayuni said the State will not allow Muhosha to derail the case and suggested that in the interest of justice, the priest’s legal representation should be taken over by the State through Legal Aid Bureau.

The judge advised Muhosha  to find another lawyer to represent him and that he shouldn’t delay the case and  adjourned the matter to May 6 .

Ntaba  said should the priest fail to identify one, he will be represented by the Legal Aid Bureau lawyers.

The body of Masambuka, 22, who hailed from Nakawa Village, Traditional Authority Nkoola in Machinga, was found buried on April 1 2018 after he was reported missing in March the same year.

Besides Muhosha, the suspects include Masambuka’s biological brother Cassim White Masambuka. The deceased’s brother faces three charges of murder, trafficking in persons and causing another person to harm a person with disability.