THE trial in which five members of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) are charged with the 2012 murder of three Mafeteng men could not proceed on Friday as scheduled because the prosecution failed to provide a mortuary registry book that the defence had requested.
news
Aug. 15, 2021
STAFF REPORTER
2 min read
Mortuary document delays Mafeteng murder case
The High Court of Lesotho
The Crown’s Advocate Mosouenyane Masiphole told the High Court on Friday that after he was told to provide the document, he went to the Mafeteng Government Hospital mortuary where the bodies of the three men had been kept but he could not find it.
He said he was told that the registry book, being a public document, was not at the mortuary at the time and was being used somewhere else.
He told the court that the officer investigating the case told him earlier that morning that the registry was available and copies of it would be made.
One of the defence lawyers, Adv Kabelo Letuka said the document is fundamental therefore no further steps can be taken in the case if it is not made available.
The defense had last week requested a complete copy of the document from the prosecution as the one they received had incomplete information.
Letuka said the defence was unable to sign minutes of the pre-trial conference in the absence of the document.
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The case was therefore postponed to next week Wednesday.
The accused in the matter include Litekanyo Nyakane, Khauhelo Makoa, Sebilo Sebilo, Tšepo Tlhakeli and Thebe Tšepe.
They are charged with the murder of Thabang Mosole, Monyane Matsie and Pakiso Ntala Letatabe during an incident that happened in Ha Motanyane, Mafeteng on April 7, 2012.
The case was initially before Judge Onkemetse Tshosa who has since resigned and has been re-allocated to Justice Polo Banyane. LeNA