Brown (40) is young brother to another feared senior CIO official Joseph Mwale implicated in the murder of two MDC activists 12 years ago, but has still not been prosecuted.
This is despite a High Court judge having recommended he be brought to book. Joseph Mwale and his accomplice, war veteran Kainos Kitsiyatota Zimunya, are accused of having petrol-bombed a vehicle driven by Tichaona Chiminya and Talent Mabika when they were campaigning in Buhera for MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai in the run up to the 2000 elections.
Residents of Glen Norah said since the murder of Mwale in the early hours of Independence Day, CIO agents have been swarming the area and surrounding suburbs where they were searching for the suspects and other criminal gangs including armed robbers.
One of the suspects surrendered himself at Machipisa Police Station fearing arrest by the dreaded spies. “People are living in fear because they are afraid of being caught in the crossfire. Night spots are now closing early because CIOs are now regularly patrolling the area in an intimidating manner,” said one Glen Norah resident.
Police spokesperson Inspector Blessmore Chishaka said police had not yet received reports of intimidation by members of the CIO. He however confirmed that four suspects; two soldiers, a pirate taxi driver and another person, had been arrested on charges of kidnapping and murdering Mwale.
Chishaka said Mwale had been drinking beer at a night club in Glen Norah B and wanted to hire a taxi to his Waterfalls home towards midnight. He had a misunderstanding with a pirate taxi driver who wanted to charge him US$5, while he was offering US$4.
Chishaka said the pirate driver called his friends, who included two soldiers and the four began to assault Mwale. The suspects briefly fled when police on bicycle patrol were spotted in the area.
Mwale’s friends who had also run away returned but while they were walking home along Sebakwe road, the four suspects re-emerged and began assaulting the deceased again.
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Mwale was bundled into the taxi which drove at high speed along High Glen Road. His body was then dumped near an area popularly known as “pamasimbi”.Mwale’s friends managed to phone his young brother Esau, who alerted the police. The suspects were arrested at another night club in Glen Norah. One of them was putting on a T-shirt which had blood stains.
