Keiso Mohloboli and Refiloehape Lenka
Maseru
Democratic Congress (DC) deputy leader Monyane Moleleki’s surety conditions have been changed, the Sunday Express heard on Thursday.
Moleleki, his lawyer Advocate Salemane Phafane KC, Senior Resident Magistrate ‘Makampong Mokhoro, Advocate Sipho Mdluli and Advocate Khotso Nthontho, had a meeting in chambers at the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday to review issues around Moleleki’s surety.
After the meeting in chambers, Moleleki and his lawyer then appeared in an open court before Mokhoro for a surety agreement.
Mokhoro told the court that the crown’s lawyers Nthontho and Mduli, Phafane and herself had reached an agreement that Moleleki’s bail conditions still stand, while a new arrangement for his surety will relieve DC Member of Parliament Ntlhoi Motsamai from her previous obligations as Moleleki’s surety.
DC Deputy Secretary-General Semano Sekatle and party spokesperson, Serialong Qoo, volunteered to jointly pay the M100 000 surety should Moleleki flee.
“We have agreed that DC Deputy Secretary-General Semano Sekatle and DC spokesperson Serialong Qoo will substitute Motsamai and stand as surety for the accused,” Mokhoro said.
Phafane said Qoo and Sekatle signed the agreement as assurance that they “will pay M100 000 surety” if Moleleki runs away.
Meanwhile, Mokhoro said she “had a problem” with a certain radio station that had apparently “misinformed the public” by saying she had issued a warrant for Moleleki’s arrest.
The radio station had further stated that “the warrant was actually a political attack” on the DC deputy leader.
Refuting the station’s statement, the magistrate told a packed court audience that indeed he had issued a warrant of arrest against Moleleki “last year but that had nothing to do with getting him arrested”.
Mokhoro added that a warrant was served to the accused to ensure he promptly attended his court trial because “he was supposed to have been in court the previous day, but did not avail himself”, she said.
“The public needs to understand that the courts pledge to uphold justice and order in society. This entails a separation between the judiciary and politics, that is, the judiciary should be fully independent from any politics whatsoever,” she said.
Moleleki’s remand hearing will be on April 11 2014.
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