MALAWI: Six Police Officers Sentenced Over Murder Of Buleya Lule

By Smile Hamilton, Malawi

A Malawian High Court Judge, Justice Chifundo Kachale, has sentenced six police officers to prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years for the murder of Buleya Lule, a 32-year-old man who was a suspect in a murder case.

The sentencing took place in Lilongwe, where Justice Kachale handed down the judgments.

Lule was a resident of Lilongwe, and was arrested by the police in 2019 in connection with a murder investigation.

However, while in police custody, Lule died after being brutally beaten and tortured by the police officers.

It was alleged that Lule was subjected to severe physical abuse, including being kicked, punched, and hit with batons, which led to his death.

The incident sparked widespread outrage and calls for justice, leading to the arrest and prosecution of the six police officers involved.

Paul Chipole, one of the convicted officers, received a 20-year jail term, while Ikram Malata was sentenced to 18 years for murder.

The other four officers – Richard Kalawire, Innocent Wanda, Maxwell Mbidzi, and Abel Maseya – each received 15-year prison terms for the same offense.

Regarding the second count of causing grievous harm, Justice Kachale ruled that no separate sentence would be imposed, as the harm caused led to Lule’s death.

Both the lead defense lawyer, Lugano Mwabutwa, and state prosecutor Dzikondianthu Malunda expressed satisfaction with the outcome.