Maseru
Detective Reveals Shocking Details in Mahao’s Murder Investigation
Detective Sergeant Motsoakhunong Kuputsa who-was one of the police investigators in the murder of Maaparankoe Mahao has told the court about some of the findings made during the investigations.
In his evidence as the 21st witness for the trial in the matter, he testified that on June 26 2015 following the death of Mahao, he and his team of police officers went to Makoanyane Military Hospital where the body of the deceased was kept. He said they were taken to children’s ward by Colonel Tlelai.
“The deceased was on the trolley covered with a white sheet. We removed the sheet to examine the deceased,” said Kuputsa.
He indicated that when examining the body, he realised that the right arm of the deceased was fractured. He added that there were open wounds on the upper and lower parts of the same arm further adding that the bones were exposed.
Moreover, Kuputsa said Tlelai handed over clothes that were said to belong to the deceased and they were in a black refuge bag, and they were wet. He said, “Whileexamining the clothes I saw Tlelai had over a wallet to Mothaka. He alleged that it was part of the deceased Items.”
He said they then took the corpse to the police van and proceeded to Lesotho Funeral Services.
Detective Lance Sergeant Liau Seeko who is a Crime Scene Investigator within the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), who was also part of the investigation team into the murder of Maaparankoe Mahao gave his evidence in the trial in which some army members are accused of killing the deceased.
In his testimony, he talked about the injuries he observed on the body of the deceased at Makoanyane Military Hospital on June 26, 2015, after he died the previous day. He also covered the findings made at a scene in Ha Lekete where the deceased was allegedly shot.
He also touched on what was discovered at Qoatsaneng, the home of Professor Nqosa Mahao, the brother of the deceased, where a vehicle in which the deceased was travelling in when he was shot, was parked.
During cross-examination he stated that the family of the deceased gave him his clothes which they got from the mortuary as they were surprised that they were wet and torn. He indicated that the clothes did not have blood.
