Court releases police officer found guilty of July 20 murder
The High Court in Lilongwe has cancelled a 13-year-jail term for Malawi Police Service (MPS) officer Stewart Lobo for murdering a builder, George Thekere, during the July 20 2011 nationwide demonstrations.
At the time of the incident, Lobo was working on a house in Chilinde, but was originally a resident of Kaliyeka in Lilongwe.
He was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment by High Court in Lilongwe in 2016 but his lawyer appealed the conviction.
The High Court then found that Lobo was erroneously convicted and overturned his sentence.
This means no police officer is being held to account for the deaths of the 20 innocent Malawians during the reign of former president Bingu wa Mutharika who was becoming increasingly dictatorial, intolerant and arrogant.
Lobo has since been released from Maula prison but it was not known whether he sue the government for unlawful imprisonment.
It was also not clear whether the Malawi police service would take him back following his acquittal.
When he was convicted, Justice Fiona Mwale said it was safe to conclude that the State had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Lobo was indeed responsible for the shooting of late Thekere on July 21 2011.
Mwale said even though in his defence, witnesses claimed Lobo was not aiming at Thekere, but a boy named Jones Mpambiche, the accused should have known that his shooting would have consequences.
Other police officers, who were arrested allegedly in connection to the July 20 killings included Lemekezo Mikuti, Benedicto Dzombe, Paul Mussa, Mahomed Kulusinje and Kelvin Nyirenda, all from Ndirande Police Sub-station in Blantyre.
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