Maseru, Aug. 18 — The High Court in a case in which two politicians, former army commander and the army members are among others charged with treason, which allegedly occurred in August 2014, will on Friday next week hear a bail application by some of the accused in this case.
Motloheloa Ntsane and Leutsoa Motsieloa have filed the application seeking to be released on bail due to unreasonable delays in the matter.
The same accused have previously applied for separation of trials in the same case. They argued that they suffer prejudice when they sit in court and listen to charges against their co-accused, adding that they stand to incur unnecessary costs.
The prosecution argued that the accused are charged together with the others to avoid prejudice for all parties involved, repetition of evidence and duplication of trials.
The application was dismissed. The presiding judge concluded that it is not desirable to separate the charges in the matter. She pointed out that it is not in the interest of the administration of justice to separately charge persons accused of common purpose.
Motsieloa and Ntsane are in this case charged together with the Minister of Health, also a leader of Movement for Economic Change (MEC) Selibe Mochoboroane, Former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) Metsing, Former Army Commander Kamoli and Litekanyo Nyakane.
They are facing various charges and their alternatives which include treason, murder, attempted murder, risk of injury or death and aggravated assault which they have pleaded not guilty to.
The charges which are against all the accused include murder of Sub-Inspector Mokheseng Ramahloko. Attempted murder of Letsekang Mothibeli together with its alternatives, aggravated assault against Sergent Mahanetse, Lance Sergeant Thabisa Kopa, Lance Sergeant Thamae, Police Constable Mokete Litulo and Police Constable Mone respectively.
The charges of treason, attempted murder of Police Constable Moeketsi and its alternatives (risk to injury or death and aggravated assault) together with assault of Sub-InspectorJoel are against Kamoli, Nyakane, Metsing and Mochoboroane only.
According to the charge sheet the alleged offences occurred on August 29-30 2014 and they were committed in furtherance of shared and common purpose by the accused together with the late Tefo Hashatsi and Bulane Sechele together with Tumo Lekhooa as well as persons unknown to the prosecution.
The case is before Justice Maliepollo Makhetha.
