The stepson of the former president of Malawi Pedro Mutharika was acquitted of all charges in a case in which he was accused of human trafficking and manslaughter.
Tadikira Mafubza and seven other men were arrested in November 2022 after police said they were linked to the deaths of 29 suspected Ethiopian immigrants, whose bodies were found in an unidentified mass grave.
Former president Mutharika said at the time that he was shocked by the police action, stating that his stepson was arrested without any evidence linking him to any crime.
After an ordeal that lasted more than 19 months, Mr Mafubza and his co-accused were cleared after a full trial.
“We are pleased with the outcome,” Mafubza’s lawyer said on Wednesday.
“To be honest, we saw it as proof [against our client] It was disjointed.”
However, Dzikondianthu Malunda, an official at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, said the decision “came as a surprise”.
Mr Mafubza himself refused to comment on his acquittal as he left court on Wednesday, stopping only to pose for photographs for photographers.
In October 2022, police found a grave full of dozens of bodies in a forest in the northern Mzimba district after young men detected a bad smell.
The bodies were those of boys and men believed to be Ethiopian migrants trafficked to South Africa.
Malawi is a major smuggling route for migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia.
After police launched a search for Mr Mafubza, he handed himself in at the headquarters in the capital, Lilongwe.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) described his arrest as a political witch hunt against Mr Mutharika’s family and his supporters.
More BBC stories about Malawi:
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
