LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The murder suspect and long-time fugitive from justice, Misozi Chanthunya on Thursday returned into Malawi from South Africa as part of his extradition agreement.

Chathunya touched down at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in the capital city Lilongwe, at 4.30 pm through Malawi Airlines where he was welcomed by police and immigration officials.

According to sources at the KIA, the murder suspect looked composed upon landing Malawi’s soil after seven years in battle with court.

Chanthunya is expected to be charged on murder which might face death sentence, according to the laws of the country.

This follows last week court determination that Chanthunya lived up to his word; withdrawing all applications against the extradition process which the South African Minister of Justice had ordered in 2012 after Chanthunya was declared a fugitive from justice by Malawian court.

Chanthunya is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, 25-year-old Linda Gasa in 2010. Gasa was a student at College of Accountancy Blantyre campus.

Chanthunya fled the country and was arrested in South Africa by South African authorities in 2012.
The murder suspect has been fighting his extradition in South African courts since but last week he withdrew his objection and agreed to be extradited to Malawi.

Previously, Chanthunya’s lawyers had cited the country’s continued retention of the death penalty for murder cases on its statutes as one of the reasons he opposed his extradition but the court also ruled against his objections during last week’s hearing.

While still in South African prison, Chanthunya launched a bid to get bail through the Malawi High Court.

However, the bail application hit a snag after a judge in the case, Justice Esmie Chombo, recused herself from the case citing “phone calls” she had received in connection to the case.

The judge did not indicate whether the calls were threats or an attempt to influence her handling of the case.