Maravi

Mwanawasa's cousin commits suicide over debt

Mwanawasa's cousin commits suicide over debt
By Speedwell Mupuchi, Zumani Katasefa and Namakau Nalumango
Wednesday April 04, 2007 [04:00]

President Levy Mwanawasa's cousin on Sunday committed suicide over a K60 million debt. President Mwanawasa's special assistant for policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation Jack Kalala confirmed the incident yesterday. Kalala, who has been assigned to represent President Mwanawasa at the funeral house in Mufulira's Kankoyo residential area, said 51-year-old Dickson Chiseketi hanged himself some kilometres away from Teka Farm.

He explained that President Mwanawasa and other family members met at Teka Farm to discuss Chiseketi's debt because the people he owed had put him under extreme pressure. He said late Chiseketi wanted the family members to assist him with K60 million to clear his debts with various people in Mufulira. Kalala said the family members asked him to explain how he accumulated such debt and what he did with the borrowed money. He said the family members asked him to return to Mufulira and itemise the debts and give them a detailed report so that they could know how to help him.

Kalala said Chiseketi insisted on being given the money because he could not face the people he owed the money in Mufulira as they exerted a lot of pressure on him. He said Chiseketi said he would rather kill himself than face the people he owed money. Kalala said without the knowledge of anyone, Chiseketi proceeded to hang himself on a tree a few kilometres from Teka Farm where he was later discovered by some people who was rushed him to Ndola Central Hospital where he died. "I don't think the family members were wrong in asking the late to explain how he found himself in that debt and how he used the money," Kalala said. "Even in your case, can your son just approach you to say 'pay this man K20 million because I owe him and you proceed to pay without finding out how he obtained that debt and for what. The family members wanted that information because they also wanted to counsel him on how to live a good life."

And police sources said that the Chiseketi was found with a note in his pocket, which read: "Take care of my children". Chiseketi's body was expected in Mufulira by yesterday afternoon.

Labels: MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 4:14 AM