MASERU
The current Minister of Labour and Employment, Tšeliso Mokhosi has confessed before the High Court that he lied before the magistrate in 2017 to save his life.
He made the confession during cross examination which was led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Advocate Hlalefang Motinyane in a case in which four police officers are charged with murder of one, Police Constable Mokalekale Khetheng.
Mokhosi in his evidence in chief attested that after the police subjected him to torture during questionings, they took him to the magistrate court where he made a statement before the magistrate.
He showed that he was schooled by the police officers on what to say to the magistrate. Mokhosi said the police had threatened to carry on to torture him he did not act in accordance with their instructions.
In the course of cross examination he insisted that the contents of the statement are not true. He said he had to lie to save his life. He denied that what he made before the magistrate was an admission. He said it was a statement, not confession specifying that the confession is made voluntarily.
The prosecution pointed out that the witness should charge for lying to the magistrate. Mokhosi is the seventh and last defence witness to testify during the ongoing trial within a trial which is intended to establish admissibility of evidence presented by the prosecution against the accused.
The defence tested the testimony by one of the witnesses, inspector Rapelang Nkeane who indicated that the accused willingly showed them a place where they dumped the body of the deceased.
Thabo Tšukulu, Mothibeli Mofolo, Mabitle Matona and Haleokoe Taasoane are facing several charges including murder, fabrication and defeating the ends of justice. It is alleged that the deceased met his death in 2016 following his arrest by Hlotse Police. The defence insist that the deceased went missing from the police when he was to meet his seniors.
At the start the accused were charged together with Mokhosi but his charges were later withdrawn. They were also charged together with former Commissioner of Police, Molahlehi Letsoepa. This case is before Justice Charles Hungwe.
