THE women accused of killing Prince Lethukuthula Zulu claim the police assaulted, intimidated and forced them to confess.
Tshegofatso Moremane, Gontse Thloele, Margaret Koaile and Portia Mmola face charges of murder and theft.
Sergeant Phillip Mofokeng from Organised Crime Unit who was assisting the investigation officer,took to the stand in the South Gauteng High Court on Monday, 10 October.
The defence council for Moremane told Mofokeng that members of the police tracking team slapped her for not speaking.
“She was told she’s arrested for killing a prince and she will be spending a long time in jail,” said the defence.
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“An officer said his job was to beat the prisoner until the prisoner speaks the truth and even if they die there won’t be a case opened,” said defence.
Mofokeng said that there was nothing like that and that there wasn’t anyone who was beaten in his presence from when they arrested the suspects in Pretoria until they were detained in Roodepoort and Krugersdorp.
Moremane through her lawyer said: “I didn’t know he was royal I just knew him as a person who proposed love to me.”
Defence advocate for Thloele said the accused said she was also taken to a room at the Roodepoort Police Station where she was assaulted.
“She was assaulted all over her body and there was no woman police official,” she said.
“Other cops said if she doesn’t speak the truth they will come back.”
Mofokeng denied all allegations, saying that the accused were lying.
The state prosecutor said: “It was said that Moremane was forced to respond to the call of nature in front of the police officers.”
Mofokeng said: “That is not true.”
He testified that on their way from Pretoria to Krugersdorp they didn’t stop anywhere, didn’t assault anyone or force them to confess.
He said that the also told the court that he arrested the accused three of the accused after pills and eye drops were found in one of the accused’s bags.He said that was because the victim, who was with the deceased, told them they were drugged by the four women.
