A 25-year-old man has been arrested in Dowa district for allegedly killing his business friend over groundnuts.

Dowa Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Sub Inspector Gladson M’bumpha has confirmed of the incident and identified the suspect as Kalambo Kapalepale and the deceased as Chris Mvula.

According to M’bumpha, on Wednesday, 19 August 2020, the suspect and Mvula left to buy groundnuts within the villages as they used to do.

“Upon arriving at a certain drift on their way back, Kapalepale killed his colleague and buried him. He then took the groundnuts and sold them claiming that he was told by Mvula who was owner of the groundnuts,” said the PRO.

M’bumpha adds, “Suspicious and doubtful with how the suspect behaved, some community members pressed the suspect to reveal where his friend was. The suspect directed the people where he had buried the deceased.”

Following that discovery, the matter was reported to police who visited the scene and arrested the suspect.

The suspect will appear before court soon to answer a charge of murder.

Kapalepale hails from Hoya village, Traditional Authority Mkukula in Dowa while the deceased hailed from Mgona area in Lilongwe.