Cop asked me for bribe‚ says Karabo Mokoena’s alleged killer

Murder accused Sandile Mantsoe on Wednesday took to the stand in his trial-within-a-trial in which he disputed evidence by Captain Bhekisisa Mhlongo who claimed that Mantsoe had admitted to him that he had killed his girlfriend‚ Karabo Mokoena.

Mantsoe shocked the court when he submitted that Mhlongo made the damning allegations after he failed to solicit a bribe from him.

“He said to me‚ ‘look man‚ all that is happening can be fixed if you can give me something. We can let this matter go’‚” Mantsoe told the court.

“He said I should not worry about it. I asked him what he was referring to‚ but he said I must just relax and he would ensure that I do not get into trouble. I said ‘I do not know why I am here [at the police station] because you are accusing me of kidnapping a person and I did not kidnap anyone.’ He stepped out of the room and came back and asked me if there was something small that I could arrange for him. I said no. After I said no‚ he left and never came back‚” Mantsoe said.

He told the court that Mhlongo had believed he could get a bribe out of him after seeing the high profile lifestyle that he lived.

“We started talking in the car on the way to the police station… It was casual… He asked me who I was‚ what I do for a living and how long I had stayed where I am staying‚” said Mantsoe.

He said at this point‚ Mhlongo had gotten a glimpse into what kind of person he was.

“He had experienced a lot about me; the place where I resided‚ it has a heavy presence. My apartment and things which are inside have a lot of status; me talking to him and him seeing what he saw‚ made him view me in a certain way‚” said Mantsoe.

“There was a couple of thousand in the room where they had searched [for Karabo]. It’s just the place where I stay‚ it is not just a place where just anybody would stay. Sandton Skye is a top notch place‚ it is a high class area. It is not just anyone who can reside there‚” Mantsoe added‚ speaking in IsiZulu through an interpreter.

Mhlongo had taken the stand shortly before Mantsoe when he told the court that he had heard the admission by Mantsoe with his very own ears.

“I asked him about the things I had seen on the CCTV footage‚” said Mhlongo‚ referring to a part where Mantsoe was seen entering his flat with a large dustbin and later seen struggling to carry it out‚ making his way into the lift.

“I asked him about the person in the footage pulling the dustbin and what was in the dustbin. That was when he told me that he had killed Karabo‚” Mhlongo said.

“I asked him what he had used to kill her and where he had taken her. He told me that he had taken her to Sandringham‚ in an open veld and burnt her body‚” said Mhlongo.

At this time‚ the police had had no idea that Mokoena was dead. Instead‚ they had been investigating a missing person’s docket.

“After telling me that [he had killed her]‚ I told him to wait so I can get papers and pen so I can write it down and he could sign that but when I came back‚ he changed his story‚” said Mhlongo.

He claimed that Mantsoe had refused to repeat what he had said just moments earlier.

He did not force him to give the confession but instead took him down to the cells.

After facing tough questions by state prosecutor Mike Hlatshwayo‚ Presiding Judge AJ Johnson posed his own questions to Mantsoe.

During these questions‚ Mantsoe said although he was shocked‚ scared and confused by the large police presence at his flat‚ he did not know why they had taken him to the police station. “But did you not move and dispose of the body?” Johnson asked.

“Yes‚” Mantsoe replied.

“And you knew they were looking for [Karabo]?” Johnson probed further.

“Yes‚” he replied again.

“Then how can you say that you do not know why they were in the police station?”

“They did not tell me what they were arresting me for but said they had suspicions and needed to ask me some questions‚” he replied.

At this time‚ the police who had searched his apartment had found that the carpet in Mantsoe’s bedroom had been washed and was still wet yet contained some blood stains on it.

Mantsoe‚ a 28-year-old forex trader‚ maintains that his 22-year-old on-and-off girlfriend had committed suicide in his flat.

He has not mentioned how she had killed herself.

He has admitted to disposing of her body by setting it alight with pool acid‚ petrol and a tyre‚ saying he was petrified that he would be accused of killing her.

The court has ruled that the admission he made to Mhlongo would be admitted as evidence.

“The court has heard the evidence. The finding is that the admission is admitted as evidence‚” said Johnson‚ adding that he would give his reasons later.

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