. . . as officers implicated in serious crimes face suspension, trial
Pascalinah Kabi
THE government’s shake up of the security sector is set to extend to the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) amid indications that officers accused of various serious crimes are facing suspension pending prosecution.
Sources told the Lesotho Times this week the Prime Minister Thomas Thabane-led government was keen to implement recommendations by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Commission of Inquiry to suspend LDF officers implicated in cases of murder, attempted murder and treason “while investigations in their cases proceed in line with international best practices”.
However, the sources stressed that the government was “treading carefully on the matter given its sensitivity”.
Since its inauguration on 16 June 2017, the Dr Thabane-led government has shaken up the country’s security agencies, with Lesotho Mounted Police Service Commissioner Molahlehi Letsoepa being given his marching orders last month. Acting Commissioner Holomo Molibeli is expected to replace the top cop on a permanent basis.
Lesotho Correctional Service Commissioner, ‘Matefo Makhalemele, was also sent on a 57-day forced leave last month which is regarded as a precursor for dismissal.
Dr Thabane also wielded the axe at the National Security Service (NSS) by ending the tenure of Colonel Tumo Lekhooa as the spy agency’s director-general and dispatching him to his old job as Military Intelligence director at the LDF.
Col Lekhooa was replaced by Pheello Ralenkoane, who has since moved to dismiss 54 NSS agents for being overqualified and, in some cases, overaged.
Speculation has been rife this week that some soldiers implicated in various crimes allegedly committed since 2012 had been suspended pending trial.
The speculation was compounded by claims by some opposition officials that the government requested SADC to intervene militarily in Lesotho in the event of resistance by the security sector in the implementation of multi-sectoral reforms.
However, Foreign Affairs and International Relations Minister Lesego Makgothi has since clarified to this publication that the government had not requested a military force during the SADC Double Troika Summit, held over the weekend in Pretoria, South Africa.
The minister said Lesotho had only asked for the addition of some senior military officials from the SADC region to the Oversight Committee to monitor the security situation during the implementation of reforms.
The 10-member Oversight Committee was established in July 2015 to serve as an early warning mechanism for instability in Lesotho and to monitor the implementation of SADC decisions.
The committee was also tasked with providing assistance in the implementation of constitutional, security and public sector reforms in Lesotho.
The envisaged reforms cover governance, security sector and other areas and are aimed at deepening democracy and creating last stability which is conducive to economic growth.
In its summit communique, SADC urged the Dr Thabane-led government to expedite the implementation of all SADC decisions.
The bloc also urged the government to develop and submit a roadmap on the implementation of SADC decisions with “concrete, clear milestones, and deliverables and report progress” at the next meeting of the Double Troika Summit set to be held before November 2017.
The summit also extended the tenure of the Oversight Committee for an indefinite period.
The SADC decisions stem from recommendations made by a Commission of Inquiry established by SADC following the fatal shooting of former LDF commander, Lt-Gen Maaparankoe Mahao, by his former colleagues.
Led by Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi of Botswana, the commission probed the circumstances surrounding Lt-Gen Mahao’s killing and the root causes for Lesotho’s perennial instability between 31 August and 23 October 2015.
The Phumaphi Commission recommended the government to investigate Lt-Gen Mahao’s killing and to prosecute those found to be responsible.
It also recommended the suspension of LDF officers implicated in cases of murder, attempted murder and treason while investigations into the allegations proceeded in line with international best practice.
Some of the other unsolved crimes include the 27 January 2014 simultaneous bombing of the homes of former police commissioner Khothatso Tšooana, and Dr Thabane’s wife MaIsaiah Thabane in Abia and Moshoeshoe II respectively.
Then LDF commander, Lt-Gen Kamoli subsequently refused to hand over to the police the soldiers implicated in the incidents.
Other unsolved crimes include the killings of Mohau Qobete and Sub-Inspector Mokheseng Ramahloko.
Mr Qobete was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between members of the army near the Maseru Central Police Station in 2015. Sub-Inspector Ramahloko was shot dead on August 2014 during an army operation on Maseru police stations.
Defence and National Security Minister, Sentje Lebona, yesterday told the Lesotho Times that while no LDF officers had been suspended, those implicated in crimes would eventually be prosecuted.
“As we speak, there is nothing on my table suggesting that there were suspensions effected in the army. Everything will be dealt with in line with the SADC recommendations and advice,” Mr Lebona said in an interview yesterday.
“The truth of the matter is that there are criminal suspects within the army and such suspects, with concrete evidence, should appear before the courts of law.”
He said Dr Thabane would be the right person to share with the nation decisions that were taken during the SADC summit.
“I am not saying he is going to do so, but he might hold a press briefing regarding the decisions of the summit.”
Asked if the LDF members implicated in crimes would appear in court after being suspended or not, Mr Lebona said: “Don’t drag me to that issue. We are dealing with these issues as we speak.”
LDF spokesperson, Brigadier Ntlele Ntoi, stated that no suspensions had been made in an interview last night.
“We don’t know anything about that because there is no one who has been suspended. We also don’t expect any suspensions in the near future among LDF members.”
Meanwhile, Dr Thabane told the South African Broadcasting Corporation on the side-lines of the SADC summit earlier this week that he had instructed the LDF to stay in the barracks following his election.
Dr Thabane’s relationship with the army had been frayed in recent years after he had to flee the country on two occasions in 2014 and 2015 saying he had uncovered plots to assassinate him by the LDF.
The agency has, however, denied the allegations.
“That (going back to the barrack) is what the law says and I think they are going to do that. I don’t think see them doing any other thing except that,” he said, adding that he was urging law enforcement agencies to prosecute those implicated in various crimes.
“Secondly, I am now working on strengthening the police, in order to bring down crime.
“There are also crimes that were committed against certain people and so on and I am asking the courts, the prosecution authorities and everybody else to take those matters to court so that they can be settled legally in the courts of law.”
