Tefo Tefo
THE much-anticipated attempted murder trial of the five soldiers who allegedly shot and seriously wounded the Lesotho Times editor, Lloyd Mutungamiri, has been postponed again to 10 April 2018.
The postponed comes after the Crown Counsel, Advocate Rethabile Setlojoane, informed the court on Thursday that the defence lawyers had indicated that they want the case to be heard in the chambers and not in an open court as has been the case.
The case had initially been set for last Thursday but on that day, Mr Motanyane announced that he had agreed with the lawyers representing the accused and the prosecution to postpone the hearing to 10 April.
“This case will now be argued on the 10th April 2018 in the absence of the accused,” Mr Motanyane said, adding, “The accused will appear before this court on the 12th April 2018 on remand”.
The postponement further delayed the case which had been slated to begin after the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Hlalefang Motinyane, last month directed that the case should be heard by a magistrate of the rank of Senior Resident Magistrate.
It was previously presided over by Resident Magistrate, Polo Banyane, who had only been remanding the accused each time they appeared before her while awaiting the finalisation of the prosecution’s case.
It had been anticipated that the trial would finally commence on 15 March this year when the five appeared before Magistrate Motanyane.
However, on that day, the accused’s lawyer, Advocate Kabelo Letuka, informed the court that they intended to formally apply for Mr Motanyane to recuse himself from the case for undisclosed reasons.
Adv Letuka said he would disclose the reasons for the application on the day that it would be heard.
The five soldiers are Brigadier Rapele Mphaki (47), Khutlang Mochesane (57), Mahanyane Phusumane (37), Nyatso Tšoeunyane (41) and Maribe Nathane (35).
They allegedly shot Mr Mutungamiri at his home in Upper Thamae in Maseru during the late hours of 9 July 2016, after he had knocked off from work. He sustained severe facial, dental and hand injuries, causing him to undergo extensive surgery in South Africa.