Benson Phuthego vows to clear name
Pini Bothoko | Monday January 14, 2019 13:02
Phuthego is fighting rape allegations following sexual assault rumours that were posted by a Facebook user implicating him of rape. Reached for comment, Phuthego told The Monitor that he would not rest until his name was cleared.
“I am hurt, my name has been dragged in the mud. I have been put on Facebook court where people have been insulting me calling me a rapist. I have taken the matter to the police and have opened a case of defamation against one Resego Valencia Bahuma who calls herself Rere Valencia on Facebook together with three ladies accusing me of rape and attempted rape,” Phuthego said. Narrating his side of the story to The Monitor, Phuthego said it was a Wednesday night when his friend phoned him alerting him of rape allegations against him circulating on Facebook.
“I stopped the car where I was and opened Facebook and was shocked by what was posted and the insults that were posted against me by Facebook users. I went to Central Police Station and reported the matter to the police who contacted and summoned Rere Valencia to the station. She could not come to the police station because it was after midnight, but suggested coming on Friday morning,” he said.
Phuthego said the following morning he went to the police station where Bahuma arrived in the company of one Motheo Zain Dinoko. She claimed he was the one who gave her the names of Phuthego’s alleged accusers.
“The said accusers were summoned to the station by the police and two women who claim I attempted to rape them came and insisted that despite not recalling the dates they know me and that I once attempted to rape them. I was shocked because I do not know these women and have never attempted to rape them as they claim. The one by the name Pula who claimed I raped her said she was in Mochudi village when contacted by the police. She had said she would come but to no avail. After a few hours the police tried to phone her back, but she did not take the calls,” Phuthego said.
The television personality went on to state that he requested the police to call the father of the woman who claimed Phuthego attempted to rape her. The young woman claimed that her father found Phuthego with his shirt off inside his car by their gate, attempting to rape her.
“Her father came and denied ever seeing me by his gate with his daughter like she claimed. I was and am still hurt how a young woman like that could accuse me of such allegations. I do not know if they have any scores they want to settle playing victims of rape, but I am not amused by what they have done. It is wrong and I want women like that to be exposed. I am making a call to the legislator to take action because social media is being abused and has been turned into a public court. I went to report the matter because I have never raped or attempted to rape anyone. I will not claim to have a big heart, I am human, I am hurt by these allegations,” Phuthego said.
Central Police station commander, superintendent Mothusi Phadi confirmed to The Monitor that Phuthego has reported a case of defamation and the matter is currently under investigation.
Phadi pointed out that Phuthego said a group of people were discussing him and accusing him of being a rapist on Facebook.
“When cross checking the content of the conversation, it did not disclose much information. We then contacted and summoned the accused persons to the station and later confiscated their mobile phones and have taken them to their service providers to retrieve the conversation before it was tempered with,” Phadi said. When asked if the accused persons in the defamation case have opened a threat-to-kill case against Phuthego the police boss said there was no such case opened against him, but rather the accused persons later that day opened an intimidation case.
He said they claimed that earlier on when being interrogated Phuthego insulted them in the presence of the police.
“Later that day they came and opened a case of intimidation against Phuthego. In their statements they claim Phuthego used vulgar language when speaking to them in the presence of the police. I am yet to call them today (Monday) to question them together with Phuthego concerning their claims along with the police officers that were on duty. I do not know if their claims were an afterthought since they have been charged with defamation or if they are telling the truth,” Phadi said.
Reached for comment, Bahuma, who confirmed the case, told The Monitor that she was not comfortable commenting on the matter because the police have confiscated her mobile phone.
“Yes it is true Phuthego has opened a case of defamation against me, but I am not comfortable commenting any further on this matter because investigations are still ongoing and the police have confiscated my phone. I do not know if as we speak they are monitoring my calls or not so I am sorry I cannot comment any further,” Bahuma briefly said.