Former President Peter Mutharika's step son Tadikira Mafubza's case and his seven accomplices were on Tuesday in the High Court in Mzuzu at the start of their manslaughter and human trafficking case.

Mafubza and his accomplices are accused of involuntary killing of 30 illegal immigrants from Ethiopia who suffocated in a van vehicle in Mzimba and their bodies were dumped in a forest in the district.

The accused deny the charges.

The state paraded three witnesses on Tuesday and four witnesses are expected to be paraded on Wednesday.

High Court Judge, Gladys Gondwe, in a previous sitting, adjourned the case to run from 17 to 20 October 2023 to allow the state to change the charge sheet as two other suspects were arrested in connection to the offence.

The state on Tuesday started parading witnesses in its quest to prove a manslaughter and aggravated human trafficking case against Tadikira Mafubza and others.

First to take the stand was Saidi Ndhlovu who explained to the court how in the company of his brother discovered a body inside Mtangatanga Forest Reserve where they had gone to catch wild insects.

Wyton Ndhlovu, the second witness who also happens to be a chief ,told the court that after being told of the said body by Saidi Ndhlovu he alerted members of the community policing and the police, and together went to the forest where they discovered more bodies.

The case continues on Wednesday and the state is expected to parade four more witnesses and the state has until Friday to parade all 14 witnesses.

Meanwhile Kolezi Phiri Principal legal aid advocate and one of the defense lawyers says he is impressed with the progress made during the first day of parading witnesses.