Murder accused asked son for the gun, court hears

THE Lusaka High Court yesterday heard how murder accused Peter Siwale asked his 10 year old son to give him a gun from his bedroom that was allegedly used to kill his wife and suspected lover in Lusaka Meanwood area.

Before high court judge Catherine Phiri, the juvenile testified that Siwale killed his mother Charity Namukoko and Andrew Chibeka in cold blood. The juvenile who is now living at an orphanage in Lusaka’s Kabwata told the court that on August 20, 2017 at around 19:00 hrs, Siwale drove into the yard at his home with his mother and a man that he had never met before. And upon entering the house he asked the children to excuse them and close all doors and windows as they were left to talk. The 10 year old testified that after a while his father called and sent him to bring a gun that was hidden under the bed. He said after giving the gun to his father, he was asked to go back to the room when moments later he heard four gun shots. The juvenile narrated that upon hearing the shots, he went to check what had happened using the kitchen glass door where he saw his mother and the said man lying lifeless with blood in the living room. “I heard four shots like pum! pum! pum! pum! Then I went to check using the kitchen glass door when I saw my mum and the other man on the floor with blood,” he said. And Benjamin Mwamba who was in business with the accused said he had received a call from Peter Siwale and during the phone call, the accused said he had killed them both. “When Peter called me he said in panic that he was going to prison because he found his madam with another man,” Mr Mwaba narrated. Siwale of Meanwood area in Lusaka is facing two counts of murder. In the first count, he is alleged to have shot dead his wife Namukoko on April 17, 2017 and in the second count, he is alleged to have shot his wife’s suspected boyfriend, Chibeka.