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| National |
| Suspected child killer suspect disrupts court |
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by
Peter Makossah, 12 November 2002
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The Soche Magistrate’s Court turned into a theatre on Tuesday when one of the three people suspected of killing two children halted proceedings after she stood up and started shouting and hurling insults at the police.
Rhoda Chikoko, 30, was arrested on Monday together with his nephew Clifford Bwanali and niece Maureen on suspicion that they killed Bwanali’s two children — Frank, 3, and two-month-old Enock — in Sumani Village in Manase, Blantyre.
Chikoko’s behaviour forced the police to take the three suspects for prison remand while waiting for the Director of Public Prosecution’s permission to have them committed to the High Court to answer murder charges.
As other cases were being heard at the court in the morning, Chikoko, who is said to have resurrected from the dead, kept standing up and hurling insults.
“I want to go to the toilet. Why did you bring me here as if I am wrong? You policeman, do you know that I can kill you? God sent me here to do his work and you are arresting me. If you want, go and ask Him about me, he will tell you. Take me to the toilet you fools! I am not a sinner,” she was heard shouting.
First Grade Magistrate Grace Ndacheredwa ordered the police to take the woman out of the court room.
But as she was being whisked away from the court she continued with her ranting, sending the jam-packed court to stitches. It took four police officers to take her to the nearby Soche Police Station to keep her at bay.
Ndacheredwa later transferred the other two suspects to a chamber for their remand committal and continued with other matters. Chikoko was remanded in absentia as she was still locked up at the police station.
In the chamber, a police prosecutor told Senior Resident Magistrate Silvester Chilombo that he had brought the accused for remand as they wait for trial at the High Court.
Said Chilombo in response: “You have all been remanded in custody up to the date of hearing of your case.”
Clifford Bwanali said in an interview outside the court he did not see why he was being accused of a crime he did not commit.
“My children are not dead, they’re all alive. They are just resting. By the way, why accuse me of killing own children? Even if I killed them, what’s wrong? Mind you, my aunt was only trying to perform her heavenly rituals. She is an angel. My children are still living and that is strictly our family business,” he said, amid boos from bystanders.
On what the three, plus his wife, were doing for four days in the house naked, Bwanali laughed and said: “We were praying to God to deliver us from evil. Let me tell you, we — my family, my father and mother and I — are great witches. My children were also great in witchcraft, they were taught before they were born. Now they are clean.”
He added: “Stop harassing me, I am innocent .” And he started praying.
Bwanali’s wife was still at large on Tuesday but police said on Monday she was in Mdeka and that they were going to pick her up. |
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