We were under instruction to search for Khetheng: PC Ntoane
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By Lerema Pheea
A witness in the murder trial of Police Constable Mokalekale Khetheng, Police Constable Tumelo Ntoane told the High Court they were instructed to visit the deceased home in search of him as a suspected arsonist.
Ntoane appeared before the court as a witness called to corroborate the testimonies of the four accused persons and confirming what transpired on the day they were instructed to search for Khetheng at his house in Leribe in March 26, 2016.
The four accused police officers are Senior Superintendent Thabo Tšukulu, Mabitle Matona, Mothibeli Mofolo and Haleokoe Taasoane.
Ntoane told the court that he knows the accused persons and his relationships with the accused remain cordial amid their incarceration.
“I went to training in 2004 and started working in the criminal investigation division (CID) from 2005 in Hlotse Police Station. I am here to confirmed that I know these four accused persons. I have worked with this police station before them, and I quite believe that I know them,” said Ntoane.
Ntoane also noted that he knows the deceased (Khetheng) and his place of residence even if he cannot exactly tell where he was staying.
He said they used to hold meetings every Monday Moring in order to discuss what has happened in the past week so that they will determine how they should do start the new week.
He further explained that one certain Monday as the meeting went on, he heard that there is something unusual with the issues discussed in the meeting.
“Before the meeting started on that day, I heard from others [colleagues] as they spoke about PC Khetheng having allegedly burned one of the government-owned buildings. But, I did not actually think that this issue will be the topic of the meeting on such a day.
“…By the instruction of senior inspector Mathibeli Mofolo these four accused persons including myself as their driver, we were ordered to go and search for PC Khetheng from the village he was staying in,” said Ntoane.
“…When we arrived there, we first went to the office of the Chief and told him about what has brought us there,” said the witness.
Ntoane concluded that Khetheng died while he was in Mokhotlong.
Khetheng was murdered and buried together with a number of unidentified bodies at Lepereng in 2016.
His remains were later exhumed and he was given a dignified burial in his home Mokhotlong.
Since the trial that is before Justice Charles Hungwe commenced, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service’s Senior Superintendent Phahla Letsosa, Senior Inspector ‘Mabohlokoa Makotoko and Sergeant Khothatso Mphutlane have testified.
