Witness relives Guntila Muleya murder
By Esther Chisola
THE murder case of former Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) director general Guntila Muleya on Tuesday shifted to the scene of his murder in Njolwe area of Chogwe District.
Lusaka High Court judge Vincent Siloka conducted the scene visit and heard how the body of Guntila was discovered in a bush facing down with a lot of blood as if people had killed an animal.
State witness General Mwewa, 42, a caretaker at National Housing farm in Njolwe applied for the court to be moved to the scene.
Mwewa was testifying in the matter in which Mithusani Basa Dokowe, 29, a police officer, Caleb Zulu, 30, a police officer of Libala South, Samuel Basa Dokowe, 37, an assistant engineer and Francis Chipyoka, 42, an accountant of Foxdale, Lusaka, are charged with murder.
It is alleged that Dokowe, Zulu, Samuel and Chipyoka jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown murdered Muleya in Lusaka.
Muleya’s body was found with gunshot wounds on the outskirts of Lusaka in an area called Njolwe.
When the case came up for continued trial, Mwewa told the court that on
July 23, 2024, around 19:00 hours to 20:00 hours, a friend of his, George, phoned him and told him that there was a car he had seen and it was not moving well.
He testified that he later left his house and went to check on the car which was approaching him with lights on and then turned and faced a road leading into the bush.
“When I torched, the people realised my presence and shut the three doors to the car at the same time. I then switched off my torch and continued approaching the car and found it’s front seat left door open. I walked besides the car and greeted one of the occupants in the front seat and he responded. I started heading back to the farm where I stay. I then found a car on the crossroads. The car turned facing where it came from. And it’s lights continued flickering,” Mwewa said.
“I passed by the side after I realised that it was the same car I had been following. After I walked 40 metres away, the car started following me at high speed. I fled and turned towards a road leading to our farm. The car by passed me using the main road and it approached towards the entrance to National Housing. When I reached home, I tried to explain to my child that that car I saw wasn’t moving well.”
Mwewa narrated how he heard gunshots coming towards where the car headed to.
“I heard gunshots fired towards where the same car went, towards the gate side. We turned off the bulbs for fear that those guys might be thieves so that they cannot see where I stay. I entered into the house and started eating nshima. I then called George and told him that the car he talked about, there were two gunshots fired there,” he said.
“The following morning, I was about to go to the site where we were building a house near the gate around 06:00 hours. I then saw something black ahead. I saw a person facing down with a lot of blood as if they killed an animal. Blood was flowing where the head was placed on the ground. There appeared to be a wound at the back of the head and the shoulder.”
Mwewa said he then immediately informed his work colleagues about his discovery of the body.
He later called his boss and narrated what had happened.
Mwewa said police later arrived and found the body.
