Sunnyside Park murder, rape: Police arrest second suspect
Malawi Police Service have apprehended a second suspect in the murder and gang raping four months ago of a Blantyre man and his 18-year-old girl friend respectively.
Blantyre Police Assistant Public Relations Officer, Lameck Thembachako identified the suspect as 28-year-old Jimmy Khumalo.
The first suspect, Jonasi Zakeyu also aged 28, according to Thembachako, was arrested on 24th February, 2012 at Kubaluti Township within Blantyre City.
The two suspects, together with their other accomplice who is still at large, are alleged to have murdered Victor Kokoma and gang raped his lover (name withheld), who is a student at the Malawi Institute of Tourism in Blantyre.
The incident occurred on 17th January, 2012 at around 7:00 pm as late Kokoma and his lover were chatting at Sunnyside Park in Blantyre.
The three suspects attacked the couple with panga knives before being ordered to surrender their phones and other belongings to the criminals.
The move did not go down well with the man who resisted while the girl complied prompting the thugs to brutally hack late Kokoma to death and raped the girl one after another.
“The second suspect is currently on remand and we are now hunting for the remaining criminal. We urge members of the public to forward any information that can assist us to arrest the third suspect,” said Thembachako.
Thembachako said an LG phone which the thugs stole from the girl during the incident was recovered from the first suspect and was positively identified by the girl.
The police assistant spokesperson said an identification parade was already conducted and the girl identified the suspect as one of the three men who gang raped her and killed her boyfriend.
Khumalo hails from Nthintha Village, T/A Ndamera in Nsanje District while Jonasi Zakeyu hails from Disi Village, T/A Chapita in Balaka District.
According to Thembachako, the two suspects have already been charged with an offence of murder and rape.
The deceased came from Ngwata Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwandama in Nkhotakota District.
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