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State charges alleged'rape victim'
BAME PIET
Staff Writer
3/1/2006 2:36:38 PM (GMT +2)
The state has slapped a woman with lying to the police after she recanted a statement saying she was raped by film producer. Lesedi Ramathuba of Molepolole has found herself on the dock after she changed her claim that she was raped by Billy Kokorwe, a son of deputy Speaker Gladys Kokorwe.
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 Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Phadi Solomon served Ramathuba with a charge sheet in court yesterday and she pleaded not guilty. She is accused of giving false information to a police Sergeant accusing Billy Kokorwe of raping her and causing the said sergeant to open a rape case against Kokorwe. She is said to have caused annoyance to Kokorwe. Earlier, attorneys for Ramathuba and Kokorwe argued that the state cannot continue with the case because there will be no complainant. Doreen Khama for Kokorwe stated that she doubted the three police statements that were written by different officers on different occasions. She said that two statements were an upgrade of the first statement and that there could be some additional information. She said that Ramathuba is not forgiving or reconciling with Kokorwe. "In her own words, the complainant says she was not raped," Khama said. She stressed that her client would suffer prejudice if the case is to continue without a complainant. She said that her client has not been furnished with the charge sheet or statements from other state witnesses. Solomon explained that the first attorney for Kokorwe, Unoda Mack had been furnished with the charge sheet. Isaac Seloko who represented Ramathuba said that his client has decided to withdraw the case at her own will after reconsidering her position. He said that the state would have no strong case without her testimony. He said he was surprised that the state is opening another case against Ramathuba before the investigations on the rape case were completed. He accused the state of trying to do things in a hurry. He said that the forensic evidence that the state said it was waiting for would not tell the court whether or not there was consensual sex. He requested the court to consider his application to have the case withdrawn. However, Solomon insisted that it is upon the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to decide what to do on serious offences against the state. She said that rape is counted among the serious offences and subsequent court cases cannot be stopped even after a reconciliation between the parties involved. Magistrate Mareledi Dipape informed Seloko that it is the court that would decide what to do after hearing testimonies from all state witnesses. He urged Seloko to give the court time to listen to evidence from all state witnesses. "We want to hear all testimonies from the state witnesses." Dipape told Seloko that he sees no prejudice his client will suffer if the case is to continue without the complainant's testimony. The case will resume next Tuesday.
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