Maseru — The High Court has on Tuesday heard that Police Constable Kali 'Matli who is accused of killing his friend Hlaele Hlaele had a habit of showing off his firearm when with friends and drinking.

According to Masaballa Khati who was testifying as one of the state witnesses, also a friend of both the deceased and the accused, they often argued about the habitual pulling out of the gun by the accused.

He stated that on a day before the killing of the deceased, he was at Lekhalong la Baroa in Setibing with the accused, deceased and some friends whereby the accused pulled out his gun.

He indicated that he then took out a bullet from the gun and said it was a 'hollow-point'.

"He showed me the inner part of the bullet where there was a white substance which he said is poison", said the witness adding that the accused said, 'If I shoot you on the leg, the poison travels through the bloodstream to your heart and you die'.

The witness testified that he remarked that the accused carries dangerous items. He added that after that incident he got scared and requested that they leave the place for home.

During cross-examination, legal representative for the accused Advocate Letuka Molati told the witness that the accused says there is no way he could have shown off his gun at Setibing as there were other people in that area including members of the army.

He added that he also says he never educated him about hollow bullets adding that they left Setibing because they were done with their business.

Evidence presented before court has revealed that the accused shot and killed the deceased during an incident that occurred on April 18 2021 at Ha 'Majane Thoteng.

It stated that the accused and the deceased together with their female companions Boitumelo and Keketso, who have testified in the case as state witnesses, took a road trip from Maseru to Mohale's Hoek on the night of April 17 2021 but came back when they got to Mafeteng.

It indicated that they made several stops on their way back until when they stopped at Ha 'Majane as the vehicle they were travelling in was running out of fuel.

It added that the accused pointed a gun at the ladies after he had remarked that they were in trouble because his wife and that of the accused just passed by, on their way to Quthing and had seen them.

The evidence has shown that the accused shot the deceased after he reprimanded him from pointing the firearm at the ladies because he was scaring them and after he had asked him (deceased) if he was not scared of the gun and he said he was not.

In his evidence, Khati told the court that when he got to the scene as the deceased had called him for assistance with fuel, Boitumelo told him that the accused had shot the deceased.

He stated that he found the accused at the back of the seat in the deceased's vehicle supporting him. He pointed out that he suggested that they transfer him to his vehicle so that they take him to Scott Hospital.

The witness testified that after he left the deceased at the hospital and reported the matter to the police, he went to a filling station for fuel for his car.

He said while cleaning some blood staons on the backseat of the vehicle where the deceased was seated, he saw a white substance which he concluded was brain.

He indicated that he later learned from the wife of the deceased that the deceased was taken to Ts'epong Hospital where he died.

In his defence, the accused has stated that after they made a stop on their way back from Mafeteng, he took a nap.

He added that when he woke up, he realised that his companions were not in the vehicle and out of sight.

He indicated that he saw someone peeping and hiding behind a water tank nearby therefore he shot towards the tank.

The case is before Justice Mafelile Ralebese.

Lesotho News Agency