Mr. Qamako Mahao has on Monday told the High Court that the army stole some items belonging to his late younger brother Maaparankoe Mahao in 2015 after they allegedly killed him.

In his evidence as one of the state witnesses in a case in which some army members are charged with the murder of Maaparankoe, he stated that the army unlawfully took two cellphones and a gun from the deceased together with his spectacles.

He testified that when the family demanded those items, the army together with its then Commander Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, who is one of the accused in this matter, were hostile to them. 

He stated that in 2015 following the death of the deceased, the family was given his clothes which were washed. He added that it was only in 2017 when some of the items comprising the two cell phones and the gun were handed over to the family by the army through the police. He however said the spectacles belonging to the deceased have not been recovered to date.

Therefore, during cross-examination the witness insisted that the items belonging to his late brother were stolen by the army. He denied that following the death of the deceased, there was ever a delegation from the government which the Mahao family was hostile to.

He was told by one of the defence lawyers Advocate Letuka Molati who is representing Kamoli that after the death of the deceased, Kamoli informed the then Prime Minister after which the matter, including its investigations were handled by the government. He was further told that the gun belonging to the deceased was never stolen from him but was lawfully taken by army members during an army operation. 

The witness was informed that the gun was taken and kept in the army to assist in the investigations of mutiny. It was added that the aim was to also prevent it from becoming a contaminated exhibit if it was to be of interest to the police.

Adv. Molati emphaised that the items taken from the deceased were safely kept, adding that no one had an intention to permanently keep them.  He indicated that he will later ask the court not to consider the evidence of the witness because he is testifying while he is still angry.

The accused in the matter are alleged to have shot and killed the deceased on June 25 2015 at Ha Lekete in Mokema.  They are also facing several other charges in relation to this matter. The case is before Justice Charles Hungwe.