Bobe murder trial adjourned to August as investigator defends police probe

The High Court in Blantyre has adjourned the murder trial of Dr Victoria Bobe to 24 August 2026, following the conclusion of the state’s re-examination of its third witness, Superintendent Christopher Pangeti, the lead investigating officer in the case.

The re-examination followed extensive cross-examination on Friday and Monday by defence lawyers Michael Goba Chipeta and Everson Sitolo, who sought to challenge key aspects of the police investigation and the evidence put before the court.

During re-examination, Pangeti maintained that the accused had been neither threatened, coerced nor induced into participating in a video-recorded reconstruction of the events surrounding Dr Bobe’s death, telling the court that they had cooperated voluntarily and willingly demonstrated how the alleged offence was carried out at her residence in Chigumula Township.

He also defended the prosecution’s reliance on the video recording, dismissing suggestions that audio forensic or linguistic experts were needed to authenticate the footage.

According to Pangeti, there was no dispute over the identities or voices of those captured in the recording that would have warranted the involvement of forensic specialists.

Addressing defence concerns over the absence of a firearm and other exhibits from the reconstruction video, Pangeti explained that the items had not been shown because they had not yet been recovered at the time the demonstration was conducted.

He further defended the decision not to pursue recovery of the firearm allegedly used in the killing, telling the court that investigators considered such an operation to pose significant security risks.

The defence had used its cross-examination to question the credibility of the police investigation, the handling of evidence and the procedures followed during the reconstruction exercise.

After hearing the state’s re-examination, presiding judge Ruth Chinangwa adjourned the matter to 24 August 2026, when the trial is expected to continue.

The case has drawn significant public attention since the fatal shooting of Dr Bobe, with members of her family continuing to attend proceedings.

Throughout the hearings, relatives have remained visibly emotional as they await the court’s determination in a case that has gripped the nation.

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