19-year-old student accused of killing his parents to face mental examination in hospital

The 19-year-old student accused of killing his parents last year in August has been referred to a mental facility for an examination which will determine whether he will stand trial or not.

This incidence happened in their Salama Park house in Lusaka.

The decision came after Bushimbwe Mwakacheya’s pro bono lawyer Boniface Chiwala, applied that the teenager’s mental status be examined.

Chiwala told the High Court Judge Conceptor Zulu on Wednesday that having visited the accused while he was in detention, he realised that his client needed psychological examination before being tried.

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“Following that interaction with my client, am of the view that he be subjected to a mental hospital to determine his fitness and ability to stand trial. This application is made in accordance with section 160 of the CPC CAP 88 of the Laws of Zambia,” Chiwala said.

In response, State advocate Susan Mwamba-Besa, said the prosecution team, which was ready for trial with three witnesses, had no objection to the application.

“The application is granted, the accused is to be examined as to his mental capacity to stand trial,” Judge Zulu said.

It is not known how long the mental examination will take.

When brought in court, the accused was seen smiling and had challenging walking steadily when been led out of the courtroom.

Bushimbwe is charged with the murder of his father Nathaniel Mwakacheya, 53, and his mother Pemba Mwakacheya, 52, an incident which happened in August last year before the suspect was formerly charged in October.

The accused allegedly used metal bars to hit his parents between midnight and 10:00 hours on August 6, 2022 in their house on a Saturday.

A police report issued at that time after the incident indicated that after the accused allegedly killed his life givers, he wrapped the bodies and dumped them behind the house and later told his sister that the victims had died of Covid-19.

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