Pretoria - Sergeant Thabo Johannes Mosia failed to do his job as the first forensic investigator attending to the murder scene of Senzo Meyiwa following his shooting at the Vosloorus home of Kelly Khumalo in 2014.
This was according to advocate Zandile Mshololo the defence of the fifth accused Sifisokuhle Ntuli, as she started her cross-examination of Mosia in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria earlier today.
Mosia, a forensic investigator attached to the Springs Criminal Record and Crime Scene management division testified at the start of the trial in April, that he was amongst the first officers that attended the scene where Meyiwa was shot on October 26 2014.
He informed the court of his duty upon arrival at the scene and indicated that he had been responsible for collecting, packaging, and processing all exhibits on the scene.
Mshololo, however, criticized the officer’s workmanship as she highlighted how he had failed to take any DNA evidence or fingerprints from the main kitchen door handle upon arrival at the scene despite assertions that the perpetrators had used the door to gain entry into the home.
She further alleged that Mosia had failed in his duty as one of the first responders to the scene as he did not investigate the kitchen counter next to the door where the bullet was shown to have been found.
Mosia testified that he had only taken photos at the scene as pointed out to by senior official Brigadier Philani Ndlovu, who died last month.
According to Mshololo, it was strange that Mosia an officer with up to 14 years of experience as a forensic investigator had only taken photos of where he was pointed to by another officer and had not bothered to conduct his own investigations.
In his defence, Mosia said he had not taken any evidence or DNA from the main kitchen door as he believed a lot of people had utilised that particular entrance.
He also said that he had not completed his forensic investigation in its entirety as upon seeing the weight of the case he had to organise the Crime Scene Management team and had only managed to collect a few visible exhibits on the floor.
Mosia said, as a matter of fact, he was not supposed to have even started working on the scene before the arrival of the task team according to the protocol.
The five men Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Ntuli are facing charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicensed firearm as well as possession of ammunition for the 2014 murder of Meyiwa whilst he was at Khumalo's home in Vosloorus.
All of the men have pleaded not guilty to all of the charges levelled against them.
Pretoria News