Peter Mutharika grilled at Chasowa inqury
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika on Wednesday faced Robert Chasowa Inquiry grilling at Golden Peacock hotel in Lilongwe on the role he played in the death of the an engineering student at Polytechnic, a constituent college of University of Malawi .
Mutharika is one of the DPP officials who are linked with the death of Chasowa and was grilled to explain his account of the murder of 25-year-old student activist after reports linked him to have sponsored the assassination.
The inquiry – held in camera and under oath- was set up by President Joyce Banda. It is headed by Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Andrew Nyirenda.
Other commissioners are pathologist professor George Liomba, former commissioner of police Mary Mangwiza Manyusa and lawyer Paul Maulidi , State House chief of staff Ben Mbewe and Sophie Kalimba.
Former Inspector General of Police, Peter Mukhito appeared before the inquiry on Tuesday.
Mutharika could not comment on the what transpired in the inquiry, saying it would ” be a violation of the oath of secrecy.”
Inquest
But there is also an inquest at the Blantyre Magistrate Court into the matter which is being advanced by Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
MHRC has compiled a comprehensive report to be submitted to the court which implicates some top DPP officials, which include its regional governor, Noel Masangwi and Mutharika.
Mutharika is said to have financed a group of thugs which manhandled and killed Chasowa on September 24, 2011, and Masangwi is said to have headed the group of the thugs and oversaw the operation into the killing of the innocent student.
The report, which is more detailed, reveals incidents and events prior and after the death of Chasowa.
It will be submitted to the court when the inquest matter resumes before made public.
Background
Chasowa was found dead on a pavement at Polytechnic campus in Blantyre. He had been very critical of the Mutharika administration.
Mukhito, then the police chief, told reporters Chasowa killed himself, and police released two suicide notes. But relatives and friends said Chasowa was not suicidal and that the handwriting on the notes was not his.
Under pressure from the public, the police released an autopsy report that stated Chasowa died after “a fall from a high place.” But pathologist Dzamalala who police quoted denied writing such a report, and said instead that Chasowa died after being hit on the back of the head by a blunt object and that there was no sign he had fallen.
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