Six Police Officers Sentenced for Murder of Buleya Lule

High Court Judge, Justice Chifundo Kachale, has today sentenced six police officers convicted of murdering Buleya Lule, a suspect who died in police custody.

Delivering the judgment in Lilongwe, Justice Kachale handed a 20-year prison sentence to the first convict, Paul Chipole, while the second convict, Ikram Malata, received an 18-year sentence for murder.

The remaining four convicts—Richard Kalawire, Innocent Wanda, Maxwell Mbidzi, and Abel Maseya—were each sentenced to 15 years in prison for the same offense.

Regarding the second charge of causing grievous harm, Justice Kachale ruled that since it directly led to Lule’s death, the court could not impose a separate sentence.

Lead defense lawyer Lugano Mwabutwa expressed satisfaction with the verdict, while state prosecutor Dzikondianthu Malunda also welcomed the outcome, noting that the sentences aligned with the prosecution’s recommendations.