A man accused of the murder of his ex-wife’s sister in Oodi has vehemently denied the charge in court.
Appearing before Judge Michael Leburu on Wednesday afternoon, Ernest Legwale revealed bizarre incidents that occurred before the murder of his wife’s younger sister in September 2015.
On day two of his evidence, Legwale denied everything said by the state witness, Moses Morwaagole who implicated him in the murder of Thato Meswele in the early hours of September 10th.
According to court papers, hit men allegedly sent by Legwale mistook Thato for her older sister and wife to Legwale, Dimpho, and killed her by mistake.
Revealing ritualistic practices that he engaged in before the murder, Legwale said one day in July, he arrived in Oodi in the company of Mhiwatiwa at the crack of dawn.
He told of how Mhiwatiwas left him in the car to go to the in-laws compound armed with what he believed was a magic stick.
From the in-laws yard the traditional doctor returned carrying a plastic bag containing an old woman’s bones.
“He showed me the bones and said they belonged to my wife’s grandmother and told me that they were used to bewitch me and that I therefore needed further cleansing,” explained Legwale.
Prompting the court to caution him to desist from discussing irrelevant matters, Legwale went off tangent to slam Morewagole for being ungrateful by testifying against him even though he had assisted him with P90 000 to bury a father whom he (Morewagole) was accused of killing.
He also categorically denied that he instructed Morewagole to exchange a Toyota for a BMW vehicle in Lobatse following the murder and stated that he never confided in him that the hit men had killed the wrong person as Morewagole had told the court.
The suspected murderer further denied ever abusing his wife as Morewagole had alleged.
He then went on to accuse the Investigating Officer and the Magistrates’ court staff of a conspiracy to implicate him in the murder, adding that even the statements that he made, together with Morewagole’s original statements were never presented as evidence in the High Court.
He said that even the minutes of the meeting they held at the Broadhurst Magistrates’ court were never presented during the trial.
He denied that he introduced Morewagole to the second murder accused, Hamadi Nkhuha or William Mhiwatiwa adding that he never held any meeting with the three of them, also denying telephone calls between him and Morewagole regarding the murder.
The matter was adjourned to Friday morning when it is expected that the prosecution will cross-examine Legwale.
