Nelspruit - One of three men accused of the murder of a former ward councillor in Mpumalanga has accused police officers of forging his confession statement.
Mongezi Pennuel Mdluli, 24, of Ermelo Trust near White River, was testifying during a trial within a trial in the Nelspruit circuit of Pretoria's North Gauteng High Court on Thursday, a Sapa correspondent reported.
Mdluli and his two co-accused, Boetboet Mxolisi Nkosi, 23 and Whitey Vincent Lekhoane, 32 were arrested for the murder of former ward councillor of Nkohlakalo in Kabokweni near White River, Lucas Mboyoza Mabunda.
The three men face 10 charges for housebreaking and theft, murder and possession of unlawful firearms and ammunition.
During their arrest, police confiscated a number of stolen goods, among them laptops, TVs, cellphones, and theatre systems, worth R70,000.
A 9mm Vector semi-automatic pistol and an unknown calibre pistol and ammunition were also confiscated.
Mabunda, who was a teacher, was manhandled after he resisted during the robbery at his house at Bhuga Trust on March 10, 2013. He was shot and died while being taken to hospital.
“I never made a statement at all,” testified Mdluli.
Mdluli said the investigating officer Detective Muzi Ngomane took him to one Captain Jabulani Pule at the Nelspruit police station on March 26, where he said he would obtain a letter to be taken to a doctor for treatment.
He said he had sustained an injury on his right leg after Ngomane assaulted him with an axe during his arrest on March 25.
Mdluli said Pule stopped taking the statement after he told him about the injury.
“Captain Pule wrote only what I told him about my injury but nothing else and asked me to sign. He then called Ngomane and I was taken out of the office,” he said.
State prosecutor Molatlhwa Mashunga asked where Captain Pule would have got the information on who was involved during the robberies, the places, what items were stolen and what instruments were used.
“Police also testified it was you who made the pointing out of the firearm used in the commission of the crimes at the place where you rented a room, where it was hidden in a pile of bricks... It was also never disputed that he (Pule) read it (the statement) for you, and that you signed it afterwards. You made a pointing out of the firearm used freely, voluntarily and without undue influence and gave the statement to Captain Pule,” said Mashunga.
Judge Francis Legodi postponed the case to Friday for argument.
Sapa