Kamoli wants charges dropped

MASERU-FORMER army boss Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli this week demanded to be tried separately from his co-accused in his treason trial failing which the charges should be dropped.

Lt Gen Kamoli has been languishing in remand prison for the past three years.
His trial has failed to take off with the crown insisting he must be tried together with his co-accused, Mothetjoa Metsing and Selibe Mochoboroane.
Lt Gen Kamoli told the High Court yesterday that he should be tried separately or the charges should be dropped.

“If the treason matter against me and my co-accused does not proceed, may the crown withdraw charges against me,” he pleaded.
This he said in court after the prosecution explained that the matter will not proceed since Metsing and Mochoboroane had filed an application to stay their trial pending finalisation of the appeal against the Constitutional Court ruling.

The Constitutional Court last week ruled that a Memorandum of Understanding which Metsing and Mochoboroane were holding on to in challenging their prosecution was unconstitutional.
They appealed to the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal sits twice in a year, in April and in October, meaning Lt Gen Kamoli will have to wait until next April, suffering in prison while Metsing and Mochoboroane are free men.
Metsing and Mochoboroane were supposed to have been joined in the treason matter yesterday but the case was postponed because of the application of stay which they filed in the court.

It was finally granted by Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane in the evening.
Lt Gen Kamoli said if the case does not proceed on Friday the court will have to order that charges be withdrawn against him.
He said the issue of Metsing and Mochoboroane affects him emotionally since he is the one suffering in prison without any progress taking place.

He said he has been in prison for three years and the more the case keeps on being postponed, the more he is still suffering.
He said he had requested the crown for a separation of trials but it appears the crown was not interested in his request.
He said he cannot wait for the Court of Appeal proceedings which will take months while he is still in prison.

Itumeleng Khoete