Fresh arrest in Njauju murder, another Malawi Police officer: Chisale yet to be questioned

Malawi Police have made fresh arrest of yet again one of their own Mchinji based police officer Sergent Titus Thombozi in connection with the murder of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director of corporate affairs Issa Njauju in July 2015.

Thombozi is a second cop to be arrested in connection to Njaunju murder , the first one was criminal investigations department officer Christopher Naphiyo.

Naphiyo was arrested by fellow law enforcers after he was overheard boasting at a drinking joint in Lilongwe that he knows assailants of Njauju.

National Police spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa confirmed the arrest of the officer but could not disclose further information for  fear of jeopardising investigations.

“Police continues to investigatethe matter,” he said.

Thombozi has been remanded at Maula Prison awaiting formal charging in court.

Njauju was murdered by unknown assailants and his body was discovered half buried by sand miners along a river near Presidential Villas. His official vehicle, a Toyota Hilux double cabin pick-up, was found burnt to ashes.

Recently a whistle-blower account claiming Njauju murder was work of regime thugs went viral on social media.

It linked President Peter  Mutharika’s private security chief aide   Norman Paulos Chisale to be the one responsible for abduction and murder of Njauju.

Chisale has not been questioned by police.

It is said ACB received over 20 letters from different sources on how President Mutharika long time private bodyguard, Chisale who had been at State House for less than a year and by the time of Njaunju murder, had accumulated a lot of wealth.

He owned, from inexplicable sources and means, among other things, the following assets: a Hummer H3 silver , a Toyota fortuner 2014 model black , aToyota V8 meltalic greyish, a Red coupe, Toyota quantum minibuses (5), White Mercedes Benz C 200,  Toyota D4D (5), White Ford Ranger Sport,  Trucks (4), Passenger buses (3),  Nissan Tilda lation (2), Toyota collora (previously owned by Mutharika Chef), Audi A6L, a mansion in BCA, a plot in Area 6, a mansion in Area 3 plus a lodge in Mangochi.

Investigations revealed that, Chisale who works as Director of Security for Mutharika, by the time Njaunju was murdered was a P3 (Assistant Director) and his salary was less than MK 600,000 per month.

The cars alone which Paulos Chisale bought between 2014 to 2015 ,before Njaunju was killed can be valued at over MK 320 million, when the annual net salary of Chisale was less than MK 10 million at the same period .

Even including the foreign travels which Mutharika had at that particular time, Chisale could not afford to buy those 25 state-of-the-art cars he owns.

The dossier also had information which implicated Mutharika’s body guard in a questionable procurement of a second hand presidential motor home, which was bought twice its actual price from South Africa.

The whistleblower claimed the dossier from ACB did not reach President Mutharikabut  ended in the hands of security officer, Superintendent Dingani Njolomole –former Director of operations for Mulanje Police Station.

Njolomole is reported to be loyal to Chisale at State House and was incharge of waiting room, which examines confidential documents before President Mutharika sees them.

After realizing what kind of trouble Chisale was in, he allegedly engaged his accomplices at ACB and Malawi Police service to go after who was behind the dossier which sent to Mutharika.

Target was ACB director Lucas Kondowe and his deputy Reyneck Matemba but in a mistaken identity, Njauju was killed just like that.

Another suspect was arrested for being found with the late Njauju’s cellphone. However, the suspect was later released as his lead failed to track the murderers.

ACB deputy director general Reyneck Matemba said at the time post-mortem results showed that Njauju was shot twice in the neck and chest before he was half buried near Lilongwe River.

Western donors called for a thorough probe into the murder of Njauju. They described the murder as an assault on the justice system and fight against corruption.

Njauju, 49, came from Mangochi District but was buried in Lilongwe. He was one of the five directors at the graft-busting body.

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