Police suspect suicide in Chilufya Sata case

Police suspect suicide in Chilufya Sata case
By Mutuna Chanda and Chibaula Silwamba
Wednesday April 30, 2008 [04:00]

POLICE and family sources have revealed that Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata's son, Chilufya, who was found dead at his Kabulonga home on Monday, is suspected to have committed suicide. But Lusaka division police commanding officer Greenwell Ng'uni has said it was difficult to tell whether or not it was suicide.
Police sources said Chilufya’s body was found lying next to a bottle of poison in his home on Monday afternoon.

However, the motive of the suspected suicide was unknown.
A family member said Chilufya was found dead around 14:00 hours after they broke the door to gain entry to his room. The family member said they had started knocking on Chilufya's door around 10:00 hours, but there was no response hence they decided to break the door.

"It seems it was suicide because we found a bottle of poison," the source said.
Some close family friends were heard at the funeral house saying Chilufya had previously attempted suicide.

But Ng'uni yesterday said police only knew that Chilufya died in his sleep.
"We don't know as a service what the actual cause of death was," Ng'uni said. "All we know is that he died in his sleep. We have to do a post mortem to determine the actual cause of death."

Further asked to confirm reports that Chilufya had committed suicide, Ng'uni responded: "On suicide, I can't tell. It's difficult to tell".

During a check at Chilufya's home at 37G Serval Road Kabulonga on Monday afternoon, plain clothed police officers, staff from Ideal Funeral Home, family members and Patriotic Front officials among them vice president Dr Guy Scott and Mandevu member of parliament Jean Kapata were found.

The hearse from Ideal Funeral Home arrived at the scene around 16:30 hours and the body was removed from the house immediately and taken to the University Teaching Hospital Brought in Dead (BID) section.

Chilufya will be buried tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Sata, who is admitted to Mill Park hospital in South Africa, was yesterday informed of Chilufya's death.

"He has been informed based on doctors' advice. Yes, he knows that Chilufya is dead," said Sata's nephew, Miles Sampa, in a telephone interview from Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba, UNIP vice president Njekwa Anamela and other opposition party officials visited the funeral house.