By Iommie CHIWALO
While the Malawi Police Service earlier today refused to succumb to pressure by the concerned citizens on the mysterious death of Malawian of Rwandan origin Emmilie Noel Halimana, the police have decided to swiftly move in to quell the situation in an apparent direct response to the 7 days a ultimatum.
Sources privy to this publication confirm that the MPS is meeting the family of the deceased at 09:00AM on Tuesday November 8, 2022 the Lilongwe Police Station in Area 3.
The move by the Police comes hours after a grouping of concerned citizens gave the law enforcement agency seven days ultimatum to swiftly investigate the same or else face nationwide protests.
Earlier today police spokesperson Peter Kalaya rubbished the calls by the grouping saying the police never works under pressure or through ultimatums.
Kalaya however, confirmed that the police really received two different autopsy reports surrounding the single individual. He said it was really embarrassing that one report indicates that Emmilie Noel Halimana died due to road accident and the other one was showing that the deceased died from strangulation.
“It is for this reason that, we the Concerned Citizens are here today, vowing to fight for justice to prevail on the death of Noel who met his fate on his way from Dzaleka refugee camp in Dowa,” reads the statement from the concerned citizens.
Following the precepts to the sequence of events, the concerned citizens are convinced that Noel’s death was arranged, a development that is smelling foul play all over.
“Failure to act within the specified time will leave us with no option but take to the streets to protest this shameful act by the police. We just want the Malawi Police Service to desist from any conduct that has the potential to erode the trust the citizens have in their police, and strive to safeguard the gains made in as far as our global record in relation to hosting refugees and asylum seekers is concerned,” reads the statement.
Adding that some quarters within the police would like to make us believe that Noel died on the spot after an accident involving his personal vehicle, a Toyota Hiace minibus registration number KK 3519 he was travelling in. The police arrested the driver, a Rwandan national Raffick Munyamagaju who survived the purported accident unscratched.
The grouping alleges that the driver, is reportedly fearing for his own life while on remand at Maula prison.
“It is sad to report that these people are that powerful to an extent that Rafik is feeling insecure while in prison. Rafik’s safety at Maula prison should therefore be guaranteed by both the MPS and their counterpart the Malawi Prison Services. Those police officers that are intimidating the deceased’s immediate relatives should also be disciplined. We cannot afford to let few bad apples to dent the image of our country, let alone compromise the safety and security of this great republic,” say the concerned citizens.
Giving the whole incident grey areas is the fact that the driver did not report the accident to the nearest police station at Kanengo. But the police instituted initial investigations that led to the driver’s arrest only to be released on bail without being charged.
It is further reported that there was drama as a group connected to the driver’s family, who happens to be the deceased’s brother in-laws , took control of everything without waiting for the police to do their work as is always the case during road accidents.
