Malawian politician held for murder

[iolsa]

Blantyre, Malawi - A former top aide of Malawi's late president Bingu wa Mutharika and a policeman have been arrested for the murder of a student activist who was killed last year, a police spokesman said on Wednesday.

Noel Masangwi, a top official of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was arrested together with five others, including police officer Stanford Horea, for the murder of Robert Chasowa.

Chasowa was found dead on college campus in September 2011, in what police initially called a suicide.

An inquiry ordered by President Joyce Banda revealed early this month that he had been murdered.

Police spokesman Kelvin Maigwa said the arrested people were likely to be charged with murder, which carries a maximum sentence of death.

Others arrested were Young Democrats leaders, the youth wing of DPP which was notorious for beating and torching houses of Mutharika's opponents.

Chasowa was president of a youth rights group at the Polytechnic  in Blantyre, which was critical of the Mutharika administration. - Sapa-AFP



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