A police officer charged with the murder of three protesters testified in court that the aggression of then police minister Nathi Mthethwa and commissioner Riah Phiyega during a debriefing about the incident scared him into failing to make a crucial disclosure about the incident.

Warrant Officer Hyde Mophosho, 44, is charged with the murder of three protesters in Mothutlung in North West last year.

Yesterday, he told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that he twice failed to disclose that he fired the outlawed SSG ammunition which allegedly led to the deaths of the protesters out of fear and shock. The court heard that Mophosho and his group of seven Klipgat public order police members were called into two debriefing meetings by their seniors following the fatal shooting of January 13.

Prosecutor Advocate Kenneth Mashile said during cross-examination that Mophosho only confessed during a third meeting with Brigadier Modisagaarekwa Mosimanegape on January 15 that he could have discharged the SSG instead of rubber bullets.

Mthethwa and Phiyega met the group on January 14 to get answers to why people died. However, none of the officers wanted to take responsibility.

"I did not say anything to them [Mthethwa and Phiyega] because they seemed very angry and aggressive towards us, including our senior managers who were at the meeting," said Mophosho.

sifilel@sowetan.co.za