Mokete turns tables on cops

MASERU -DEPUTY Commissioner of Police (DCP) Paseka Mokete has turned the tables on Inspector Makatleho Mphetho, the police officer who accused him of sexual harassment.
DCP Mokete was acquitted of the charges of sexual harassment, assault and malicious damage of property last week.

But he says his acquittal is not enough. He has opened a perjury case against Inspector Mphetho whom he says repeatedly lied under oath during the trial. DCP Mokete also wants Inspector Lebeoana Matekane and Lance Sergeant Mathebe Motseki, who were the prosecution’s key witnesses, charged with perjury.

He says the two gave contradictory and false testimonies to give weight to the trumped-up charges that Inspector Mphetho instigated against him. DCP Mokete says Inspector Mphetho’s testimony that he reported the incident to Superintendent Setsomi was false.

He says it was a lie that Inspector Mphetho reported to Superintendent Setsomi that he touched her buttocks and tore her trouser.

“This was a deliberate lie and distortion of the truth because she never reported to them what she said in court,” DCP Mokete says in his statement to the police.

“Inspector Mphetho further told the court that after reporting the crime before Inspector Matekane in the morning hours, she was thereafter issued with RCI 49/04/2020.”

“This aspect is also a lie as she was never issued with the RCI number during the morning hours as she only got it in the afternoon after they had concocted the facts.”

He says Inspector Mphetho also misled the court that he was given the medical form in the morning to see a doctor. The truth, DCP Mokete alleges, is that she only got the form in the afternoon.

He says she also lied that she reported to parliament’s Sergeant at Arms Moshe Raleting that she had been touched on her buttocks and her trouser tone. He says this evidence will be refuted by Superintendent Setsomi, Superintendent Matseletsele, Inspector Molumo and Sergeant Tlali.

“Sergeant Khaile will also refute this evidence as he was told a different story by Mphetho altogether,” DCP Mokete says.

He says Inspector Lebeoana Matekane also lied to the court about what Inspector Mphetho reported to him about the incident. He says what Inspector Lebeoana Matekane told the court is different to what was recorded in the Occurrence Book at the Maseru Charge Office.

DCP Mokete also says Lance Sergeant Mathebe Motseki gave false evidence to the court when she said Inspector Mphetho reported the incident to her. The sexual harassment incident is alleged to have happened at parliament in April 2020.

DCP Mokete was charged in July 2020. On March 15 this year Mokete’s legal team applied for discharge on the argument that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against him.
Last week, Senior Resident Magistrate Peter Murenzi dismissed the case after finding that the prosecution had given contradicting statements and the evidence was not strong enough to prosecute DCP Mokeke.

“The court is thus not satisfied that the evidence advanced might secure a conviction against the accused. It is not necessary to drag the accused to put his defence when no prima facie case is made,” Senior Magistrate Murenzi said.

DCP Mokete this week said although he was relieved that he had been acquitted he believes that those who instigated the case against him or provided false evidence should face justice.
He said the case had almost damaged his career.

“I believe there was a political hand in this matter. I suspect I was being targeted for investigating the former Prime Minister (Thomas Thabane) and his wife for Lipolelo Thabane’s murder,” DCP Mokete said.

“Some people thought I was doing that to topple the government and sabotage their chances of qualifying for government pensions. The truth will eventually come out.”

Staff Reporter