Possible 2nd trial-within-a-trial in Karabo Mokoena's murder case

The trial of Sandile Mantsoe‚ alleged to have murdered his on-and-off girlfriend Karabo Mokoena could possibly see a second trial-within-a-trial.

This comes after Constable Mokgatji Mahwete‚ who first responded to the Lyndhurst ditch where Mokoena’s body was found in April 2017 on Wednesday‚ told the High Court in Johannesburg what she had heard Mantsoe telling other police officers when he was arrested two weeks after the body was found.

“They said there was a suspect who was arrested who had wanted to go and show them where the body was. I asked whether it was possible for me to see the suspect and they said it was not a problem.

"I was walking to the cells and I came across police officers who were with one person who was in private clothes. When I got closer‚ I heard them talking so I stopped. What I had heard was shocking‚" said Mahwete. "This man was explaining to them how he was supposed to do something. He could not even explain what that thing was. I later found out that this man is Sandile Mantsoe. What I heard was that he did was what he was supposed to do‚" said Mahwete.

Judge AJ Johson stopped Mahwete‚ saying he was seeing them entering into territory of a trial-within-a-trial.

Earlier the court had entered into a trial-within-a-trial to try and establish whether the verbal admission that Mantsoe had allegedly made to one police officer could be admitted as evidence.

The officer had told the court that Mantsoe had confessed to killing Mokoena and disposed of her body by torching it in a ditch in Lyndhurst. He left the consultation room to go and get paper to document Mantsoe's confession but when he returned‚ Mantsoe had changed his tune.

The officer‚ Captain Bhekisisa Mhlongo‚ told the court that Mantsoe had refused to repeat what he had earlier said so that he could document it.

Mantsoe had on Wednesday taken to the stand to dispute Mhlongo's version‚ alleging that he had asked him if he did not have "a little something" to offer him in order to ensure that the matter "went away".

The 28-year-old forex trader told the court that when he said he had nothing to offer‚ Mhlongo had left.

Mantsoe's lawyer‚ Victor Simelane‚ submitted that several days later‚ Mhlongo had returned to the Sandton police cells where Mantsoe was being kept.

Simelane alleged that Mhlongo had again offered to assist Mantsoe.

Mhlongo‚ who is based at the Diepkloof police station and has over 31 years of experience‚ denied doing this.

"What could I have assisted him with?" he asked‚ with a shocked look on his face.

Mantsoe's verbal admission was admitted into evidence.

Meanwhile‚ Mahwete had told the court that the body they had found had been badly charred. Police could not make out whether it was the body of a male or female but it was only the red nail polish that they saw on the toenails that suggested to them that it was a woman.

The trial was postponed to Thursday.