Three men acquitted of manslaughter

The High Court in Blantyre has acquitted Owen Chisala, Sekani Ausman and Don Mlenga, who were facing manslaughter charges under Section 208 of the Penal Code over the death of their relative, Chikondi Mmangitsa.

The court heard that on May 21, 2021, Mmangitsa went to a funeral ceremony where he allegedly caused disturbances and assaulted a chief.

The three accused persons intervened, restrained him and took him to another house before tying him to a tree after he returned and continued disrupting the funeral.

Mmangitsa, who was reportedly drunk at the time, later collapsed and was taken to hospital where he died.

Medical findings presented in court indicated that he died from low blood sugar and suffocation.

However, medical experts told the court that the deceased had an empty stomach, suggesting that he could have gone without food for between eight and 21 days.

They further testified that starvation alone had caused his blood sugar to fall to a level that could have resulted in his death, even without the restraint.

The court found that the accused persons had no intention to harm when restraining Mmangitsa, saying their actions were aimed at restoring order at the funeral and protecting the chief.

The court further ruled that the lack of food, which was not linked to the accused persons, also contributed to the death.

The three, who were represented by Principal Legal Aid Advocate Chikondi Kasambara, were therefore acquitted after the court found that there was no case for them to answer.