Murder Suspect found with wife’s underwear, photo and charms

24/07/2014

A POLICE officer has told the Kitwe Magistrate’s Court how he apprehended a murder suspect whom he allegedly found in possession of his dead wife’s underwear, photograph and suspected charms.

In this case, Frank Sinkala of Chambishi township in Kalulushi is charged with murdering Catherine Kasenge.
It is alleged that Sinkala, on February 28 this year in Kalulushi, murdered Ms Kasenge.
Sinkala allegedly stabbed Ms Kasenge in the abdomen, hands and left leg before he ran away.
Sinkala denied the charge.
But when the matter came up for continuation of trial before Kitwe High Court judge Chilombo Phiri on Monday, detective inspector Innocent Inonge testified that on February 28 this year, he was assigned a docket of murder to investigate.
Mr Inonge narrated that according to the report given to Chambishi Police Station, Sinkala had allegedly stabbed his wife with a knife and that she sustained deep cuts in the abdomen, both hands and left leg.
He testified that after receiving a report that Kasenge had died at Kitwe Central Hospital where she was taken for treatment, police launched a manhunt for Sinkala, who was allegedly on the run.
Mr Inonge testified that Sinkala was apprehended in Kitwe near Stanbic Bank three days after the murder and that he intended to flee to Nakonde.
“We found him with his wife’s pant, photograph and some herbs when we apprehended him,” Mr Inonge said.
Mr Inonge, however, apologised for not bringing the underwear to court because it had been eaten by rats in the exhibit room at the police station.
Under cross-examination, Mr Inonge said he did not subject the herbs he found on Sinkala to chemical tests.
When asked if he thought the herbs were connected to black magic, Mr Inonge said he just suspected them to be herbs.
And Ms Kasenge’s niece testified that on the day her aunt was murdered, Sinkala allegedly asked her to give him a knife so that he could use it to scratch an airtime voucher.
The girl narrated that Sinkala allegedly never returned the knife which she gave him.
She narrated that when Ms Kasenge learnt that Sinkala had returned home after allegedly being away for more than three months, she took his belongings and put them outside.
She testified that Sinkala later asked Ms Kasenge for forgiveness when he entered the house but that she refused to forgive him.
The girl narrated that a few moments later, she allegedly saw Sinkala pushing Ms Kasenge and she saw a knife lodged in her leg when she looked closely.
Hearing continues.