Teenager charged with murder, committed to reformatory centre

The Blantyre Magistrates Court has formally charged with murder a 16-year-old boy who shot dead shop owner, Feston Chipinda in Chilimba Township on Friday.

The boy (name withheld for ethical reasons) has since been committed to Bvumbwe Reformatory Centre-due to his age-while waiting trial, after spending three days in police custody.

Principle Residence Magistrate, Innocent Nebi charged the teenager with murder, which attracts death sentence, however, no president has warranted any death penalty since inception of multiparty democracy in the country.

Meanwhile, boy did not take plea-on whether he is guilty or not-as he waits for the case to be committed to the Blantyre High Court for trial.

In an interview, Police prosecutor, Constable Elina Matukuta said the law-enforcers were yet to come up with number of witnesses to testify in the case.

“The number is not yet know as investigations are still underway. Hopefully, everything will be set by the time the trial starts,” explained Matukuta.

Police arrested the teenager on Saturday in New Naperi, Blantyre where he was hiding.

The boy is reported to have killed Chipinda right in his shop on Friday after disagreement over a price of milk.

According to reports and eye witnesses, the boy went into Chipinda’s shop to buy fresh milk, however disagreement erupted when the accused paid less than the set price.

He was manhandled by some of shop assistants before he escaped and came back minutes later with a pump gun, and shot him (Chipinda) dead.

The killing incident led into chaotic events that saw residents burning down a police sub-station in the Township.

Law-enforcers had to use tear-gas to calm down the situation after a running battle with the irate residents for close to three hours.

The angry residents descended to Chirimba police sub-station-where they thought the boy was kept-demanding the police to hand him over.

They blocked the M1 road with stones and tree branches before setting the sub-station on fire, and some of suspects under custody are reported to have escaped.

Southern Region Police Publicist, Nicholas Gondwa has since dismissed suggestions that the cold-blooded teenage killer is related to one of police officers at torched sub-station.

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