Maseru, Aug.07 — The High Court through Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane has on Monday postponed to Wednesday, a case in which two members of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) are charged with the murder of Lisebo Tang, which occurred in 2014 near the residence of Former Army Commander Tlali Kamoli at Ha-Leqele.
The case was postponed so that the court could make an inquiry into why prosecution lawyer Advocate Lepeli Molapo was double booked. The presiding judge Chief Justice Sakoane stated that the inquiry will help develop a meaningful debate on why the lawyer was not present in the morning when the case was called.
Adv. Molapo was in the morning not before court and in his place was Adv. Limakatso Mokhatholana who informed the court that Adv. Molapo was engaged at the Commercial Court. The court directed that the matter be adjourned so that Adv. Molapo could be called and arguments on whether the case should start de novo could be heard.
When finally before the court following the adjournment, the lawyer explained that the matter he was engaged in at the Commercial Court started at 8:30 in the morning with hope that by 9:30 they would be finished. He indicated that he was aware that the criminal trial was set down for today.
The presiding judge directed the lawyer to read the Speedy Courts Trials Act. He emphasised that double booking of a counsel is not an excuse. He said the Speedy Courts Trial Act provides that a case should be heard within a reasonable time. He remarked that the public is complaining that lawyers do not do their work. He added that there are delinquent lawyers.
The case was initially handled by one of the foreign judges assigned to hear high profile cases Justice Kabelo Lebotse. He however resigned at an advanced stage of the case where he had already ruled that two of the accused Corporal Tjekane Sebolai and Private Selone Ratsiu have a case to answer. He acquitted their co-accused Private Kopano Matsoso indicating that the prosecution has failed to link him to the offences charged.
The matter was eventually allocated to the Chief Justice.
Apart from the murder charge, the accused who were guarding the residence of Kamoli on May 09, 2014 are also charged with attempted murder of Tsépo Jane who was in the company of Tang on that fateful day. It is alleged that they shot and injured him.
They are further charged with malicious damage to property for allegedly destroying Jane’s vehicle on the same day.
Ends
