The Roodepoort magistrate’s court has granted Mduduzi Mnisi, accused of murdering the 14-year-old Likhona Fose, bail of R5,000.
The court previously heard Mnisi is allegedly linked to the crime through the statement of only one witness, who allegedly saw the child with him.
Fose’s mutilated body was discovered at an open veld in Durban Deep, Roodepoort, on June 1. Mnisi was released on parole in December 2018 after he was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment for attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
During the bail application, the investigating officer, Sgt Moses Semosa, testified that an eyewitness had seen the accused going to his place with the deceased on May 31 about 4pm.
However, Mnisi denied killing Fose, stating that he did not know the deceased and that his phone records would prove he was in Daveyton to meet his friends, “Fish” and “Madiba” at the time.
National Prosecuting Authority Johannesburg regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said this alibi was investigated, and his phone was indeed linked to a tower in Daveyton.
“The accused called his girlfriend to give testimony that they were together on the 31st after 7pm and spent the night together, further stating that the accused never left her sight,” Mjonondwane said.
She testified that he left on Sunday about 6pm, when he said he was going to see his mother. “He spent Saturday night with me. We were together the whole of Sunday. He left about 6pm to see his mother,” she testified.
Mjonondwane said this was contrary to the analysis of the accused’s cellphone records that linked his phone to a tower in Kagiso at 8pm.
“The court also heard evidence from his parole officer, Neo Lakaje, who, upon getting details about Mnisi's phone being Daveyton, told the court that he had violated his parole conditions as he never obtained prior permission to be in another jurisdiction,” she said.
The matter has been postponed to Friday for further investigations.
TimesLIVE
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