The defence team in the ongoing treason trial of former army commander Lieutenant-General Tlali Kamoli and politicians Mothetjoa Metsing and Selibe Mochoboroane has accused the Lesotho police of tampering with evidence. During cross-examination of the Crown's 10th witness, Sergeant Mokete Litulo, defence lawyer Advocate Lepeli Molapo alleged that police repaired a bullet-damaged door at Police Headquarters while the case is still before the courts. This action was described as surprising and potentially compromising the integrity of the evidence.
The allegations were made in relation to events on the night of 29 to 30 August 2014, when police Sub-Inspector Mokheseng Ramahloko was shot dead. According to Adv Molapo, the defence had engaged an expert to examine the crime scene, which found that one of the doors at Police Headquarters had been repaired and a bullet hole covered. The defence argues that if the bullet that killed Sub-Inspector Ramahloko had gone through the door and into a wooden cabinet, a spent bullet would have been found and taken for ballistics.
Sergeant Litulo denied the allegations, stating that repairs had been carried out in the radio room where the shooting occurred, but no particular spot had been deliberately targeted. However, Adv Molapo further alleged that Sgt Litulo, his colleagues, and some politicians had hatched a plan to implicate the soldiers while they were in Ladybrand, South Africa. This allegation was based on Sgt Litulo's evidence-in-chief that he fled to South Africa after the events of 30 August 2014, along with the then Commissioner of Police, Khothatso Tšooana, and some politicians.
Adv Molapo questioned Sgt Litulo's actions, suggesting that if he had fled to South Africa, he should have reported to the police or applied for political asylum. The defence lawyer implied that the purpose of the meeting in South Africa was for the police to plot and implicate soldiers for wrongdoing. Sgt Litulo's evidence-in-chief also revealed that the violence was not confined to Police Headquarters, but had also affected several other police stations, including the Maseru Central Charge Office and the Ha Mabote police station.
The trial, before Justice 'Maliepollo Makhetha, involves Lieutenant-General Kamoli, Mr Metsing, and Mr Mochoboroane, who face charges including treason, murder, and attempted murder. The accused, who have pleaded not guilty, are alleged to have been involved in the raid on police stations in Maseru on 30 August 2014, which the army claimed was a mission to disarm the police. The Crown describes the events as an attempted coup.
The defence team comprises Advocates Motiea Teele KC, Letuka Molati, Lepeli Molapo, Kabelo Letuka, and Napo Mafaesa, while the Crown is represented by Advocates Motene Rafoneke and Rethabile Setlojoane. The trial continues, with the defence seeking to challenge the prosecution's evidence and raise doubts about the integrity of the investigation.
The case has significant implications for Lesotho's stability and raises questions about the relationship between the police and the military. The allegations of tampering with evidence and plotting against the accused have added a new layer of complexity to the trial, which is expected to continue in the coming weeks.
Key points
- The defence team alleges that the police tampered with evidence by repairing a bullet-damaged door at Police Headquarters.
- The trial involves high-profile accused, including a former army commander and politicians.
- The case relates to events in August 2014, which the Crown describes as an attempted coup.
