Ex-President’s stepson acquitted of manslaughter

The stepson of former Malawian President Peter Mutharika has been acquitted of all charges in an aggravated manslaughter and human trafficking case. BBC News reports that Tadikira Mafubza and seven other men were arrested in November 2022 after police said they were linked with the deaths of 29 suspected Ethiopian immigrants whose bodies were found in an unmarked mass grave. At the time, Mutharika said he was shocked by the police action as there was no evidence linking his stepson to any crime. Dzikondianthu Malunda, an official for the Directorate of Public Prosecution, said the ruling had ‘come as a surprise’. In October 2022, police found a grave filled with dozens of bodies in a forest in the northern district of Mzimba after young boys reportedly detected a foul smell. The corpses were of boys and men believed to be Ethiopian migrants being trafficked to SA. Malawi is a major trafficking route for migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia.