Tefo Tefo
BASOTHO National Party (BNP) spokesperson Machesetsa Mofomobe will return to the Magistrate’s Court on 26 June 2017 after the same court this week postponed his trial for contravening provisions of the Penal Code Act of 2010.
The case was scheduled to proceed on Tuesday and yesterday, but was postponed because the investigating officer was out of the country on other duties.
The charges relate to an incident when he allegedly took pictures of the country’s security officers and uploaded them on social media last year.
Mr Mofomobe first appeared before the Magistrate’s Court on 10 November 2016.
According to the charge sheet, Mr Mofomobe is alleged to have contravened the Penal Code Act by uttering words that were aimed at inciting public violence and by taking photographs of members of the Lesotho Defence Force Military Intelligence (MI) on 28 October, 2016 when they were on duty at Qoatsaneng and indicated that he would post the photographs to Makhaola Qalo’s Facebook page.
The page is known for leaking allegedly confidential government information.
Mr Mofomobe is alternatively charged with contravening provisions of Section 169 of the Defence Force Act No. 4 of 1996 in that he interfered and or willfully obstructed members of the MI who were on duty at Qoatsaneng by taking their photographs without their consent and posting them to Facebook.
Mr Mofomobe allegedly took the pictures in question while the soldiers were on duty at the Qoatsaneng residence of AD leader, Monyane Moleleki who was at the time deputy leader of the Democratic Congress (DC) party.
Mr Moleleki had just returned from an international trip which he had undertaken in his capacity as Police Minister at the time.
The photographs were later seen on the said Facebook page and this was done without the officer’s consent.
Mr Mofomobe is currently out on bail after being ordered not to interfere with the state witnesses and police investigations.
