Three people yesterday testified against Former President Peter Mutharika’s stepson, Tadikira Mafubza and seven others, before High Court Judge Justice Glady Gondwe sitting in Mzuzu.
Currently out on bail, Tadikira and the seven others are facing 12 counts which collectively form two charges of aggravated manslaughter and trafficking in persons.
The seven others are Samuel Navaya, David Luhanga, Thomson Kazembe, Ducnam Kalulu, Boniface Ngulube, Aubrey Dukes and Arnold Mwakiyelo.
The three State witnesses, Saidi Ndhlovu who, in accompany with his young brother discovered the mass grave, Wyton Ndhlovu a village head and a forestry extension officer Prisca Simeju established facts about the discovery of the graves and how the authorities were involved.
The first day of the hearing centered on how the graves were discovered buy the locals who went hunting in Mtangatanga Forest Reserve in Mzimba, involvement of traditional and community security officers as well as the reporting to Police.
It was mainly the State’s field day as the defense just sat back. There was no extensive cross-examination.
On of the defence lawyers, Legal Aid advocate Kolezi Phiri said they did not extensively cross-examine the witnesses because their testimony was not directly linked to their clients.
The case is expected to continue today and will be heard up to Friday. The State has indicated that it will parade 14 witnesses.
In October, the remains of 30 people who are allegedly Ethiopian nationals have been exhumed from a grave located within Mtangatanga Forest Reserve in Mzimba.
Police said all victims are male aged between 25 and 40.
Official records indicate that a majority of migrants who are caught in Malawi use the country as a transit point with their final destinations mostly being South Africa, Europe or the US.
In 2022 alone, 221 migrants have been intercepted and 186 of them were Ethiopian nationals.
