Johannesburg - The trial of the five men accused of murdering Bafana-Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, resumed in the Gauteng north (Pretoria) High Court today where the qualification of the police crime expert came under the spotlight.
Sergeant Thabo Johannes Mosia took the stand again as his cross-examination by advocate Zandile Mshololo, counsel for one of the accused, continued.
After having been grilled yesterday by the lawyer about his qualifications, Mosia brought proof of his qualifications to court today.
Mshololo stated that the reason she had asked for proof of his qualifications was to test Mosia’s level of competence because there were multiple instances where he had failed to fulfil his duties at the crime scene.
She began by interrogating Mosia’s B.Tech Degree by asking if he had completed a diploma before attaining his degree?
Mosia said, “Yes, I compiled a recognition of prior learning portfolio with UNISA in 2015”.
Asked to see the diploma, Mosia who had received access to the B.Tech program through his recognition of prior learning, was unable to produce it.
Mshololo noted that Mosia had only started studying for his degree after the shooting of Meyiwa. She put it to him that he was therefore not adequately experienced when he attended the Meyiwa crime scene.
Mosia disagreed saying he had attended many crime scenes before, had been examined by a panel of forensic experts from the SAPS and was granted fingerprint expert status in 2010.
Satisfied with her interrogation of Mosia’s qualifications, Mshololo turned her attention back to the crime scene and the forensic investigator’s actions.
Discussing the pictures of blood spatter on the kitchen walls taken by Mosia at the scene, Mshololo asked him if he did not find it abnormal that there was no blood on the kitchen floor.
Mosia agreed that he too was surprised that there was no blood where Meyiwa was supposedly shot.
Mshololo then put it to Mosia that the reason for this was that the scene had been cleaned before he arrived. Mosia confirmed that indeed that this was a possibility.
She implored Mosia to tell the truth and admit that he had processed a contaminated crime scene.
Mosia said “When I arrived at the crime scene I did not think of it as a contaminated crime scene, I considered it as an ordinary crime scene”
The court adjourned for a short recess with Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela stating that he was not feeling well.
IOL