A public petition demanding arrests in the killing of a 22-year-old Malawian man has been quietly altered to remove the names of several alleged suspects, fuelling concerns among campaigners and relatives about transparency in the investigation.
The petition, which had gathered more than 2 800 signatures, originally listed six men witnesses said had been present during the incident that led to Abdul Aziz Tofik Panjwani’s death.
The names of five individuals have since been removed and replaced with a single marker: “[Redacted]”.
Five other individuals whom witnesses reportedly linked to the incident were questioned and released. They are: Jaques Vertue, Jibrael Lambat, Jacob Rendere, Adam Khan and Waseem Hamdani.
The change followed complaints from families connected to those named, according to people involved in promoting the campaign.
Panjwani died in the early hours of 5 April after an incident at WheelHouse Cottage in Senga Bay, a lakeside resort in Salima district in central Malawi. Relatives said he was assaulted by a group of men before a vehicle ran over him several times. He died before reaching the hospital.
Abbas Panjwani, a relative of the deceased, said the family’s understanding of the events come from several accounts provided by people at the gathering. “Abdul Aziz Tofik Panjwani had attended a gathering at WheelHouse Cottage in Senga Bay,” he said.
“As people were leaving, a confrontation occurred in the parking area involving several individuals. During this incident, a vehicle was involved, resulting in him sustaining fatal injuries, including severe head trauma.”
He said the family was calling for a thorough and transparent investigation. “At this stage, the full sequence of events remains unclear and it is critical that all facts are properly established through a credible investigation,” he said.
Police arrested Aman Khansia, who they said was driving the vehicle involved in the incident. He was remanded to Maula Prison in Lilongwe. Khansia, who is reportedly in the UK, was briefly released on account of an undisclosed illness before being returned to custody.
Police questioned five other individuals who witnesses allegedly linked to the incident. They were released after questioning.
The family said they had struggled to obtain clear information about the progress of the investigation. “We are still awaiting a comprehensive briefing on the progress of the investigation,” Abbas Panjwani said.
“There is a lack of clarity regarding the handling of suspects and the direction of the case. While individuals who were present have been identified and questioned, there is a clear need for greater transparency and communication.”
The online petition, titled Justice for Abdul Aziz Panjwani: Demand Immediate Arrest of All Suspects, was launched on 12 April on Change.org. It argued that six individuals had been identified in connection with the incident but only one had been arrested.
The petition was circulated widely on social media and among diaspora networks, attracting signatures from countries including Malawi, South Africa and the UK.
But the names of the five additional individuals were later removed from the document without any notice to signatories that the content had been changed. Campaigners said the change followed complaints from families of those named, whom they described as influential business figures with political connections.
For supporters of the campaign, the disappearance of the names has become one of the most visible developments in the public response to the case.
The Malawi Police Service (MPS) has presented a different account of what happened that night.
According to investigators, the confrontation began during a birthday gathering at WheelHouse Cottage and initially involved a dispute over a Bluetooth speaker. Police said tension escalated after alcohol was consumed.
One group left the venue but later returned to retrieve a cellphone left charging at the bar. As the individual walked toward the parking area, the other group followed and a fight broke out between Panjwani and the driver of the vehicle.
During the altercation, an unidentified person fired a gunshot into the air. In the confusion that followed, the driver attempted to leave the scene.
Police said Panjwani jumped onto the moving vehicle and sustained injuries that later proved fatal.
MPS deputy spokesperson superintendent Alfred Chimthere said the decision to charge only the driver was based on available evidence. “The one who drove the car is the suspect, as death was caused by the moving vehicle,” Chimthere said. “The rest had their statements taken as well.”
He said the director of public prosecutions would determine whether additional charges would follow. Police also warned against what he described as “trial by public opinion”. “The law does not allow us to arrest passengers if there is no evidence linking them to an offence,” he said.
Several witnesses dispute key aspects of the police narrative. Witnesses, including the individual who discharged the firearm, reportedly told investigators that the gunshot was fired in an attempt to disperse people who were assaulting Panjwani.
They also contested the claim that Panjwani jumped onto the vehicle. According to these accounts, after the confrontation, the group entered their car and fled. As the vehicle left the scene, it ran over Panjwani multiple times.
If substantiated, that version of events could alter the legal interpretation of the incident. Police said investigators had found no evidence linking additional individuals to criminal wrongdoing.
Alongside the official account, unverified allegations have circulated from a confidential source claiming knowledge of the investigation. The source alleged that a relative of one of the men questioned by police had a financial connection to WheelHouse Cottage.
The relative denied the claim, saying he did not own the property. The source further alleged that potential evidence at the venue was removed shortly after the incident and that police officers at Salima police station received payments from an individual locally known as “Chipie”, reportedly the father of the driver on remand.
The allegations have not been publicly substantiated and no bribery investigation has been announced.
Chimthere said the police service would welcome scrutiny from independent institutions. “MPS is open to all independent institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau to investigate such allegations,” he said.
Questions have also been raised about how the crime scene was secured. The incident occurred at about 5am but police only reportedly secured the site at about 3pm on the same afternoon. By then, the source said, the area had been cleaned.
Chimthere said criminal investigations and traffic officers attended the scene and that the victim was taken to Salima District Hospital, where he died while receiving treatment. A postmortem was conducted at that hospital.
The vehicle allegedly involved in the incident was impounded and remains in police custody at Salima police station, he said. Police did not confirm whether forensic examinations have been conducted to determine how many times the vehicle may have struck the victim.
Questions have also circulated on social media about conditions at Maula Prison after posts suggested the suspect was able to update his online location while in custody.
Chimthere added the Malawi Prison Service would be better placed to respond to those claims.
The case has drawn wider attention partly because it touches on longstanding debates about inequality in Malawi’s criminal justice system. Legal scholars have previously documented disparities in criminal justice outcomes, noting that poorer defendants often face harsher treatment than wealthier suspects.
For Panjwani’s family, the case has come to symbolise broader concerns about accountability. “We have noted attempts to prematurely characterise this incident,” Abbas Panjwani said. “We strongly caution against reducing a serious loss of life to incomplete explanations before all the facts are established.”
The family has raised concerns independently about the early handling of the case. “We have serious concerns about the initial handling of the situation, particularly in the hours immediately following the incident,” he said.
“A young life has been lost under circumstances that are not yet fully explained. Malawi is a country built on peace, not violence, and our justice system must reflect and protect those values.”
This article was made possible by a partnership with the Centre for Investigative Journalism Malawi (CIJM)
A public petition demanding arrests in the killing of Abdul Aziz Panjwani has been altered to remove the names of alleged suspects, raising concerns about transparency as conflicting accounts of the incident emerge
