(MENAFN- The Post) MASERU -Former Deputy Prime Minister Monyane Moleleki and ex-army boss, Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, are set to testify in the Mokalekale Khetheng murder case.
Former director general of the National Security Services (NSS), Mohlolo Lerotholi and the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) deputy leader, Tšeliso Mokhosi, have also been listed as witnesses.
When Police Constable Khetheng was allegedly abducted from the Hlotse police station in March 2016, Lt-Gen Kamoli was commander of the Lesotho Defence Force.
Mokhosi was the Defence Minister while Moleleki was the Minister of Police.
Mokhosi was later arrested in connection with the murder and allegedly tortured by the police.
Mokhosi's then driver, Zele Mpheshea, who also claimed that he was tortured by the police, has also been listed as a witness.
The crown has listed 53 witnesses in all, most of them police officers.
The case was supposed to be heard on Monday but Justice Onkemetse Tshosa postponed it to May 7 after one of the lawyers appearing for three accused, Advocate Zwelakhe Mda KC, failed to show up in court.
Advocate Mda was replaced by Advocate Thulo Hoeane as per the appointment by the Registrar of the High Court, 'Mathato Sekoai, after it was said Advocate Mda had withdrawn from the case.
However, the accused, Mathibeli Mofolo, Mabitle Matona and Haleokoe Taasoane, rejected representation by Advocate Hoeane saying Advocate Mda was still their lawyer.
Adv Hoeane tried to explain to the accused that he is there to represent them in the absence of Adv Mda but they refused to accept him.
He told the court that the accused are very hard to deal with.
And this he said while asking for the court's intervention.
Justice Tshosa said if the accused do not like Adv Hoeane, he does not have to push them.
He told him that there would be an option where the accused could be afforded an opportunity to represent themselves if Adv Mda could end up not coming at all in future.
Justice Tshosa said Adv Hoaeane was appointed by the Registrar therefore he should be present in the case so that he could take over the case if Adv Mda does not show up in the future.
He informed the court that in the absence of Adv Mda, the court would not wait but will continue.
PC Khetheng was arrested by his colleagues at a traditional feast in Sebothoane on 25 March 2016 and was charged on allegations that he burned the house of his superior in the Mokhotlong district where he was deployed.
He disappeared from the Hlotse police station but a senior police officer later told the court that he could have been abducted, implicating some police and soldiers.
He was later exhumed at Lepereng cemetery in Maseru on 11 August 2017.
Senior Superintendent (SSP) Thabo Tšukulu who was commanding Hlotse police was arrested and charged together with his three other colleagues.
The accused have all denied the charge.
Nkheli Liphoto
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