By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The forensic officer in the trial against the five men accused of killing former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, Senzo Meyiwa, has rejected the defence’s claims that he tampered with evidence at the crime scene.
Sergeant Thabo Mosia on Wednesday concluded his cross-examination by the defence and State in the murder trial at the Pretoria High Court.
Mosia was one of the first forensic officers to arrive at the murder scene on 26 October 2014, when Meyiwa was shot and killed in an alleged botched robbery, at the Vosloorus home of his then girlfriend and singer Kelly Khumalo.
During his cross-examination by State prosecutor George Baloyi, Sergeant Mosia was questioned about the crime scene exhibits he only submitted to the forensic laboratory on 28 October 2014.
In June this year, Mosia was grilled by Advocate Zandile Mshololo – the defence lawyer for accused number five, Sifisokuhle Ntuli – about why he submitted the exhibits late.
At the time, the forensic officer testified that he stored the evidence in a safe in his office because Meyiwa’s murder occurred during the weekend, and the exhibit clerk was not available.
Advocate Baloyi on Wednesday asked Mosia whether he interfered with the exhibits before they were registered as suggested by the defence.
Sergeant Mosia denied that he had any reasons to tamper with the evidence, saying that he did not know the accused at the time.
When he was cross-examined by instructing attorney Tshepo Thobane, Sergeant Mosia also denied claims that he didn’t follow proper procedure in collecting evidence at the scene.
Thobane is representing accused number one to four after Advocate Malesela Teffo withdrew as their legal counsel in July.
Mosia said the only mistake he made was not taking a picture of the evidence bag that contained a cap that he found on the scene, which was regarded as potential evidence.
Mshololo asked Mosia about a statement he wrote in 2014 in relation to Meyiwa’s murder scene.
“The incident of the murder scene was reported four hours later, and the crime scene address was not yet known. [At] the time it was reported to me, instead, I was told to go to hospital,” he explained.
“All delays before reporting the matter to relevant role players might have compromised the murder crime scene, true or false?” Mshololo asked.”
“That is correct,” replied Mosia.
It also emerged in court on Wednesday that Sergeant Mosia had to leave the crime scene in Vosloorus, in the East Rand, to attend to two other separate crime scenes nearby.
He testified that the crime scenes were in connection with a business robbery and an arson case.
The trial will resume on Thursday morning, with another witness expected to take the stand.
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Video Courtesy of ENCA.