High Court Judge Anabel Mtalimanja has convicted Beyod Chapotera owner of BICCO International, who shot dead his security guard, Conwell Zenasi on April 28 2021.
According to information on official Facebook page of the ministry of justice, the court learnt that Chapotera, who was a resident of Area 3 in Lilongwe, came out of his house that night armed with a loaded gun.
The convict, 48, from Faiti Village, Traditional Authority Phambala in Ntcheu, met a group of police officers who had arrested his security guard.
The court learnt that Chapotera told the police officers that the man they arrested was his security guard and not a criminal. The officers on patrol, the court learnt, earlier that night came face to face with two people who disappeared into the compound of Chapotera. It transpired later that the two were Zenasi, the deceased, and his girlfriend.
The court heard that after Chapotera convinced the men in uniform that Zenasi was not a criminal, they set him free. And after the police officers left, Chapotera also allowed Zenasi’s girlfriend to leave, but seconds later, a gunshot was heard.
Zenasi was shot in the back by Chapotera and he died.
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Chapotera, being represented by private practice lawyer Khwima Mchizi, claimed that the discharge of the bullet was accidental.
But Mathews Chione, a lawyer from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, argued this was negligent and prayed for conviction of the accused on a manslaughter charge he was given.
Mtalimanja agreed with the State that it proved its case and proceeded to convict the accused on the manslaughter charge.
The court has given parties 14 days to make their submissions before a sentence is handed down.
