Police at Mponela in Dowa District have arrested two men and a woman on suspicion that they had a hand in the murder of Charles Assan, a bank teller at First Capital Bank.
According to Macpatson Msadala, the Public Relations Officer for Dowa Police, the incident occurred during the early hours of February 2, 2024, at Kawere Village.
The suspects have been identified as Jafali Mtungwe, who works as a driver for the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF), Nelson Jossam and Halima Kamwana, who are in a relationship.
“They were at a local drinking establishment, and when Assan decided to leave, they all accepted a ride after spotting a Toyota Hilux owned by NEEF. However, Kamwana accused Mtungwe of theft, leading to a heated argument. In the midst of the confrontation, Mtungwe allegedly ran over Assan with the vehicle before fleeing the scene,”Msadala said.
At Madisi Mission Hospital, where a postmortem was conducted, Jossam and Kamwana presented themselves as good Samaritans who did not know the deceased.
However, the postmortem revealed that the deceased suffered bite wounds, trauma and serious injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle.
Following an investigation by traffic officers from Mponela Police, discrepancies emerged in the suspects’ statements regarding their familiarity with the victim.
As a result, they were detained, the including NEEF driver and are expected to face charges soon.
