The Zambian police have still not solved the murder of Ronald Penza, Zambia's former finance minister though they have since shot dead eight suspects without bringing them to trial. Penza's nephew has called it a political assassination. Anthony Kunda tries to unravel the murder mystery that is on everyone's lips.

Although police still insist that the former Zambian finance minister Ronald Penza was killed by common criminals, without any political motive, several happenings since the incident seem to suggest otherwise.

For one thing, Penza's killers did not steal anything from his Ibex Hill home. For another, police were too quick in ruling out the possibility of political motives for the murder.

The police statement came so soon after the killing that many people are still wondering how the police arrived at such a conclusion when their investigations were far from over.

Then came more killings of people suspected to have been involved. Hardly a day after Penza's death, the police announced that they had gunned down five suspects after an exchange of fire.

Two weeks later, the then police service spokesman, Beenwell Chimfwembe announced that three more suspected Penza killers had been shot dead by the police, bringing the number to eight. Since then the police have arrested a newsvendor and a market seller and charged them in December before a Lusaka magistrate, but they are just small beer.

Penza's family is still questioning the unprofessional manner in which the police are handling investigations. They said: "We as a family have absolutely no confidence in their investigations going by the manner in which they have conducted themselves so far."

The family asks: "Why kill the suspects. Was it aimed at destroying information? And since when did our police become so efficient as to arrest the killers a few hours after the incident?"

The Permanent Human Rights Commission (PHRC) has also asked why the police carried out extra-judicial killings of suspects. A PHRC spokesman said: "It is difficult to see how the police can arrive at the truth of the matter, when all the suspects are gunned down."

Ngande Mwanajiti, executive director of Afronet, a human rights organisation, was quoted by The Post as saying the police handling of investigations "smells of a police attempt to destroy evidence. We don't know up to now who killed Penza but the police want us to believe those guys."

Mwanajiti said it was unbelievable that the "police could have concluded investigations by 11.00 hours on Friday, the day of the murder. The efficiency with which the police have handled this particular case is questionable."

The Penza family is appealing to President Frederick Chiluba to appoint an impartial and independent commission of inquiry helped if necessary by Scotland Yard and the US Federal Bureau of Investigations.

Derrick Chitala, Penza's nephew and a former deputy minister in President Chiluba's government, forthrightly said: "This is clearly a political assassination. You can tell from the professional manner in which it was done."

But President Chiluba turned down their request for an independent commission of inquiry. During the funeral service for Penza, Chiluba said: "I am asking the police to get to the bottom of this matter. They should leave no stone unturned." He has since not spoken about the matter, at least not in public.

But police investigations are leaving many questions unanswered. Relatives of the Chanda Chafya, one of the slain suspects, has decided to sue the government for his torture, wounding and unlawful killing. Robert Simeza, lawyer for the Chafya family, said pictures taken during the post mortem showed that he must have been severely tortured or beaten, before being shot several times. The body had several bullet holes, but only two bullets were found in the corpse.

State pathologist, Dr Mahendra Garg, in a preliminary report, said: "I believe the deceased died from multiple bullet injuries." One of the relatives who was present during the post mortem told journalists that Chafya's right leg looked like it had been crushed with a heavy object or motor vehicle."

Simeza said Chafya's relatives have given him firm instructions to bring a suit against the government for damages. The post mortem on Chafya came three weeks after his death. Simeza said: "Every time we are told that they are still investigating the matter. But what can you investigate on a corpse for three weeks? We got the distinct impression that they want to hide something."

The Lusaka magistrate, Freda Chulu, issued an order instructing state pathologist, Mahendra Garg, to conduct a post mortem on Chafya's body immediately. Chafya was picked up in the morning from his work by plain clothes policemen on the day Penza was killed. Six hours later he was reported shot dead.

In a related development, a policeman Kalaluka Kwibisa who allegedly shot some of the suspected killers has appeared in a Lusaka magistrate's court charged with three counts of murder.

Police service spokesman Chimfwembe has since been replaced by Alex Chilufya for unspecified reasons. A senior police officer was quoted by the Times of Zambia as saying: "The removal of Mr Chimfwembe by the inspector general is routine. There are no specific reasons for the changes. It is the discretion of the inspector general of police to make changes from time to time."