Maseru, May 13 — The current Minister of Labour and Employment Mr. Tseliso Mokhosi has on Monday admitted before the High Court that he lied before a magistrate in 2017.
He made the admission during cross examination which was conducted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Adv. Hlalefang Motinyane in a case in which four police officers are charged with the murder of Police Constable Mokalekale Khetheng.
Mr. Mokhosi had in his evidence in chief testified that after the police subjected him to torture during interrogations, they took him to the Magistrate Court where he made a statement before a female magistrate.
He indicated that what he told the magistrate what the police had ordered him to say. He said the police had threated to continue to torture him if he did not comply with their instructions.
During the cross-examination he insisted that the contents of the statement are not true. He said he had to lie in order to save his life. He denied that what he made before the magistrate was a confession. He said it was a statement, not a confession indicating that the confession is made voluntarily.
The prosecution indicated that the witness should be charged for lying to the magistrate.
Mr. Mokhosi is the seventh defence witness to testify during the ongoing trial within trial which is intended to establish admissibility of evidence presented by the prosecution against the accused. The defence challenged a testimony by one of the witnesses Inspector Rapelang Nkeane who stated that the accused voluntarily showed them a place where they dumped the body of the deceased.
Thabo Tsukulu, Mothibeli Mofolo, Mabitle Matona and Haleokoe Taasoane are facing several charges including murder, perjury and defeating the ends of justice.
It is alleged that the deceased met his death in 2016 following his arrest by the Hlotse Police. The defence insist that the deceased disappeared from the police when he was to meet his superiors.
Initially, the accused were charged together with Mr. Mokhosi but charges against him were later withdrawn. They were also charged together with Former Commissioner of Police Molahlehi Letsoepa who reportedly fled the country.
The case is before Justice Charles Hungwe.
