LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The High Court in Lilongwe has acquitted Egnat Katengeza of murder in a case involving the killing of her sister, Agnes Katengeza, a Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) employee.
Egnat was represented by prominent lawyer Khumbo Soko, who welcomed the ruling, saying the prosecution had failed to present evidence capable of sustaining the serious charge against his client.
Speaking to the media after the ruling, Soko said he was relieved that Egnat had finally been acquitted, arguing that the case lacked sufficient evidence from the outset.
“I am relieved for my client. If I am being honest, this case never made sense to me. I didn’t see any evidence that moved the investigators to charge her with this very serious offence. I am glad that the Judge saw what we saw. That there was simply no evidence to sustain such a serious charge,” he said.
Soko said it was unfortunate that his client had to endure a murder trial despite what he described as the absence of evidence against her.
“It’s such a shame really that Egnat has had to go through the hell of a trial for nothing,” he added.
Egnat was charged in connection with the September 2023 murder of Agnes, whose body was found in the boot of her Kia Sportage behind Gateway Mall in Lilongwe on September 24, 2023, a day after she was reported missing.
Agnes worked as a Network and Systems Administrator at RBM.
The prosecution’s case included allegations that the killing was motivated by financial interests linked to Agnes’ pension benefits, with evidence presented concerning Egnat’s nomination as the sole beneficiary of her sister’s pension.
The State also presented testimony relating to electronic devices belonging to the deceased and investigations into the movements and alleged involvement of other family members.
Egnat’s acquittal does not, however, resolve the circumstances surrounding Agnes’ death or automatically determine the position of co-accused Amos Katengeza.
The court’s detailed reasons for the acquittal were not immediately available.
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