Four further suspects have been detained by Malawian police in connection with a mass grave that was discovered last month and contained 30 victims, 30 of whom were Ethiopians who had entered the country illegally and were thought to have died of suffocation.
After handing himself into police on Wednesday, a stepson of former president Peter Mutharika was the first person detained in connection with the burial.
In a jungle in the northern Malawian district of Mzimba, villagers discovered the mass burial last month.
In addition to the fresh arrests, police said in a statement on Friday that they also had more evidence pointing to the suspects’ involvement in the fatalities.
According to Malawi Police Service spokesman Peter Kalaya, the updated evidence “links all five to the case and it definitely indicates to the part that each played in the case.”
According to Kalaya, authorities are also looking for further suspects who have escaped.
Two automobiles linked to the investigation were seized by authorities.
One is Tadikira Mafudza’s Scania truck, the former president’s stepson.
A draft autopsy report was also made public by the police.
According to a preliminary autopsy report on the bodies, the victims suffocated to death, Kalaya added.
However, as a courtesy, we are awaiting a comprehensive report from the pathologists as they claim to have forwarded certain samples for additional examination.
On Friday afternoon, the five suspects were scheduled to appear in court to answer allegations of murder and human trafficking.
