EXCLUSIVE

BLANTYRE--The on-going arrests over the murdered Polytechnic student activist Robert Chasowa could net some key political and security figures, MaraPost has been told.
A very senior police official close to the matter indicated that acting opposition Democratic Progressive Party President Peter Mutharika, businessman Leston Mulli and former Inspector General Peter Mukhito are persons of interest in the murder case.

“It seems at one point there was a meeting in Blantyre and many of these attended, we are just waiting for some samples and corroboration of evidence,” the officer who didn’t want his identity revealed because the person isn’t authorised to speak on the matter exclusively told MaraPost.

Former Regional Police Commission Rodney Jose is also another person police are probing, the source said.

Chasowa was a critic of Pres Bingu wa Mutharika. He was found dead on his college campus in September last year.

Then chief of police Mukhito quickly said Chasowa had taken his own life but an autopsy report ruled out suicide as cause of death.

After Mutharika's death in April this year, his successor, Pres Joyce Banda, set up a commission of inquiry which concluded that Chasowa, who was leader of Youth for Democracy which published anti-Mutharika material, was murdered.

At least eight people have now been arrested in connection with the death of Chasowa. Six were arrested Wednesday and another two Thursday. Senior DPP official Noel Masangwi is one of the suspects who has since been charged with murder, a capital offence but those convicted get an automatic life imprisonment.
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