Four contractors who were constructing a telecommunications tower for TNM at Lifuwu in Salima have been arrested on suspicion that they allegedly murdered a suspected thief, who also works as a fisherman.
Salima Police identified the four as Blessings Chiwalo 27 from Dick Village Chief Kuntaja, Blantyre, Elias Phiri 31, Mfutso village Chief Kachere Dedza, Joseph Kambalame 30 of Dongo Village Chief Mulolo Nsanje, and Lyson Banda 35 of Kufunda Village Chief Kachere Dedza District.
Police identified the victim as Silika Auni 42 from Mangwere Senior Chief Kuluunda Salima.
Police Public relations Officer Gift Chitowe said the four are alleged to have committed the crime on 4th December 2015 and went on the run before they were apprehended on December 5th in Lilongwe.
“What we have gathered is that the four tied the deceased to a five ton lorry registration number DZ 3071 and pulled him with the truck at a speed for a distance of more than a kilometer,” said Chitowe.
“The witnesses said that they heard the deceased screaming as he was being pulled with the truck on the Senga-bay Lifuwu road, but could not tell what exactly was going on,” said Chitowe.
Chitowe explained that the body was found near the bridge in a state which indicated that it was pulled on road at high speed.
According to Chitowe the police are yet to find the motive of the murder as the four suspects are not giving any information.
An Uncle, Imbani Amani who lives near the road said that he was one of the people who heard the screams as the car was cruising.
“We parted ways with the deceased at around 7 pm and I went straight to my house which is near the road then after some times as me and my family were chatting on the verandah we saw lights of a speeding car and a screaming voice “mayo ndikufa!”, but we could not really recognize it and we did not follow only to discover that our relative was missing that night,” said Amani
Meanwhile Police had to intervene after the angry mob threatened to destroy the tower which the four suspects were building.
Other witnesses that asked not to be named said the deceased is one of the people that have been stealing at the construction site.
The Police further said that the four are workers of Liwenga Building Contractors from Lilongwe which was contracted by TNM. mana
