Malawi Catholic Priest Father Thomas Muhosha has been sentenced to serve 30 years in Prison for transacting in human tissue among others. The sentence follows the conviction by the High Court of 12 people who were found by reasonable doubt that they killed a man with Albinism, MacDonald Masambuka.
High Court Judge found 5 of the 12 suspects namely Maxwell Matchinga Sosola, Dickson Ndengu, Mussa Lilongwe, Alfred Yohane, and Masambuka’s brother Cassim white Masambuka guilty of murder whereas the remainder, Clinician Lumbani Kamanga, Master Mphulanya Injesi, Lackiness Magombo, and Cassim Masambuka were convicted of causing another person to harm a person with Albinism while Catholic priest Thomas Muhosha, police officer Chikondi Chileka, Alfred Yohane, Mussa Lilongwe and Innocent Walasi were convicted of transacting in human tissue.
Passing her Judgement, those found guilty of the murder have been sentenced to life imprisonment whilst the Catholic priest and three others have been handed down a 30-year jail sentence for transacting in human tissue.
The Judge, Nyakaunda, stated that the sentences start from the day the convicts were arrested and will run concurrently for those convicted of more than one offence.
In the meantime, the Malawi Catholic Church plans to request that the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church worldwide, take the title of Father from Father Muhosha.
The fact that a Catholic priest, a government doctor, and a police officer were accused of the murder when they were typically anticipated to be leading the charge to safeguard people with albinism shocked the majority of Malawians. Tens of the alleged people with Albinism were slaughtered and mutilated for rituals during the Peter Mutharika administration, and little was done by the government to put a stop to it. After a fresh election in 2020 that ousted the Peter Mutharika regime and brought in President Chakwera, the killings are now an uncommon occurrence.
