A POLICEMAN testifying in the trial of two people accused of murdering right-wing leader Eugene Terre'Blanche denied yesterday that a superior officer coached him on what to say.
Defence lawyer Norman Arendse was cross-examining Constable Peter Modise in the High Court sitting in Ventersdorp.
He asked Modise if investigating officer Captain Tsietsi Mano told him what to write or had revealed what other officers had written in their statements.
"No, I never met with him or sat down with him, or spoke about the case," Modise replied. "He told me nothing of the sort."
Modise dismissed speculation by Arendse that he met Mano before the trial. The constable said he submitted his statement to police two days after the murder.
Arendse asked if he had spoken to other officers about the case during those two days and whether this may have influenced what he wrote.
"No," Modise said.
A week after the crime, prosecutor George Baloyi raised queries about his statement. Modise, who has been a detective for three years, submitted a second statement relating to those queries. The court was not in possession of the second statement.
Arendse wanted to know why Modise's testimony was different to his initial statement.
"The investigating officer wanted me to make a statement about my entries ... He never asked about what the accused said," Modise told the court.
Last week, Sergeant Jack Ramonyane admitted to changing his police statement on the instruction of Mano. Mano is expected to testify during the week.
Farmworkers Chris Mahlangu and a minor are accused of beating and hacking Terre'Blanche to death in his farmhouse in North West in April last year.
Both accused have pleaded not guilty to murder, housebreaking and attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Mahlangu claims he acted in self-defence. The 16-year-old has denied involvement in the murder.
Cop in ET trial says he was not told what to write
A POLICEMAN testifying in the trial of two people accused of murdering right-wing leader Eugene Terre'Blanche denied yesterday that a superior officer coached him on what to say.
Defence lawyer Norman Arendse was cross-examining Constable Peter Modise in the High Court sitting in Ventersdorp.
He asked Modise if investigating officer Captain Tsietsi Mano told him what to write or had revealed what other officers had written in their statements.
"No, I never met with him or sat down with him, or spoke about the case," Modise replied. "He told me nothing of the sort."
Modise dismissed speculation by Arendse that he met Mano before the trial. The constable said he submitted his statement to police two days after the murder.
Arendse asked if he had spoken to other officers about the case during those two days and whether this may have influenced what he wrote.
"No," Modise said.
A week after the crime, prosecutor George Baloyi raised queries about his statement. Modise, who has been a detective for three years, submitted a second statement relating to those queries. The court was not in possession of the second statement.
Arendse wanted to know why Modise's testimony was different to his initial statement.
"The investigating officer wanted me to make a statement about my entries ... He never asked about what the accused said," Modise told the court.
Last week, Sergeant Jack Ramonyane admitted to changing his police statement on the instruction of Mano. Mano is expected to testify during the week.
Farmworkers Chris Mahlangu and a minor are accused of beating and hacking Terre'Blanche to death in his farmhouse in North West in April last year.
Both accused have pleaded not guilty to murder, housebreaking and attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Mahlangu claims he acted in self-defence. The 16-year-old has denied involvement in the murder.
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