University student death ruled suicide -police

The death of a University of Malawi student activist who published a weekly newsletter critical of government policies has been ruled a suicide, police said on Sunday.

But many say they believe 25-year-old Robert Chasowa, a fourth-year engineering student at the Malawi Polytechnic was assassinated and the suicide aspect has been doctored.

Chasowa was found in a pool of blood with a deep  cut on the back of his head.

Police spokesman for the south Davie Chingwalu said their investigation have indicated Chasowa threw himself from a 15 meter building.

Chasowa: Question marks on his mysterious death

A post-mortem was conducted at College of Medicine and indicated that he died due to head injuries.

Chingwalu said police questioned Chasowa's girl friend, claiming he left a note which he purportedly wrote to thank his parents for a job well done in upbringing him.

He allegedly wrote that "Dad, keep away from politics, it is very dangerous."

But friends and family members contested the death as suicide and hold the view that it was "murder."

"We do not believe it’s a suicide. There are still unanswered questions,” a relation said.

“It is very suspicious," added a student at the university.

Chasowa was as a "wanted" man by security forces and has been in hiding after police came at the campus to quiz him over anti-Mutharika Youth for Freedom and Democracy (YFD) group whose scathing publication The Weekly Political Update has already seen police arrest some of pressure group  members.

Police on Monday raided the home of 21-year old Black Moses, president of YDF and interrogated him over the publication which is a one-paged numbered prose that uses critical language against Bingu wa Mutharika's authoritarian rule.

It also exposed the details of the recent petrol-bombings of the office of rights activist Rafiq Hajat and the home of activist Reverend Macdonald Sembereka which was carried out by regime thugs.

The publication also alleged that Australian Paladin company which mine uranium in Kayerekera is depositing about K14 million to Mutharika's offshore account.

Nyasa Times 26 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2011/09/25/university-student-death-ruled-suicide-police/
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