The step-son of Malawi’s ex-President Peter Mutharika has actually been acquitted of all charges in a case in which he was implicated of human trafficking and exacerbated murder.
Tadikira Mafubza and 7 other guys were apprehended in November 2022 after authorities stated they were related to the deaths of 29 believed Ethiopian immigrants whose bodies were discovered in an unmarked mass tomb.
Ex-President Mutharika stated at the time he was surprised by the authorities action, stating his step-son was apprehended without there being any proof connecting him to any criminal offense.
Mr Mafubza and his co-accused have actually remained in custody for more than 19 months before being cleared following a complete trial.
“We are pleased with the result,” Mr Mafubza’s legal representative stated on Wednesday.
“To be sincere, we saw it coming as the proof [against our client] was disjointed.”
Nevertheless, Dzikondianthu Malunda, an authorities in the Director of Public Prosecution, stated the judgment had actually “come as a suprise”.
Mr Mafubza himself decreased to talk about his aquittal as he left the courtroom on Wednesday, just stopping to present for professional photographers’ images.
In October 2022, authorities discovered a serious filled with lots of bodies in a forest in the northern district of Mzimba after young kids supposedly found a nasty odor.
The remains were of kids and guys thought to be Ethiopian migrants being trafficked to South Africa.
Malawi is a significant trafficking path for migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia.
After authorities released a look for Mr Mafubza, he handed himself over at their head office in the capital, Lilongwe.
The previous governing Democratic Progressive Celebration (DPP) had actually explained his arrest as a political witch-hunt versus Mr Mutharika’s household and his advocates.
More BBC stories on Malawi:
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
