Pascalinah Kabi
LAW and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Lebohang Hlaele, and his principal secretary, ‘Mole Khumalo, held a crisis meeting late yesterday after the Director of Public Prosecutions, Leaba Thetsane, resisted their decision to send him on forced leave.
Prime Minister’s Office Press Attaché Thabo Thakalekoala confirmed to the Lesotho Times that Advocate Thetsane KC was yesterday served with a letter sending him on involuntary leave for unspecified number of days but the latter resisted the move.
“He was given a letter today but he is refusing to go home,” Mr Thakalekoala said yesterday.
“I don’t know the number of his leave days but as we speak the Minister and Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Law and Constitutional Affairs are holding closed door meetings discussing the resistance from him (Thetsane).”
Contacted for comment, Adv Thetsane curtly responded, “I don’t do interviews, bye.”
Advocates Thetsane and Makhethe successfully challenged Dr Thabane’s “show cause” letters in the courts of law.
Adv. Makhethe eventually retired last month although he turns 60 on 13 November this year.
The Dr Thabane-led four-party coalition government was installed after the Pakalitha Mosisili-led former seven parties’ regime lost the 3 June 2017 snap elections.
With the Dr Thabane-led government committing to pursue justice for the many unsolved killings that were not prosecuted in the preceding years, Adv Thetsane had been increasingly seen as an obstacle to that objective.
Read also;
The government’s discontent with Adv. Thetsane was evident during a memorial event to commemorate the three-year anniversary since Sub-Inspector Mokheseng Ramahloko’s death in Qoaling.
Sub-Inspector Ramahloko was killed on 30 August 2014 during a predawn Lesotho Defence Force raid on three Maseru police stations which the military claimed was meant to foil a Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) plan to arm civilians.
However, the LMPS has vehemently denied the allegation, with Dr Thabane, who fled the country ahead of the raid, describing the LDF’s special operation as an attempted coup.
In his remarks during the memorial event, Acting Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli, directed his ire at Adv Thetsane for failing to oppose former Defence Minister Tšeliso Mokhosi’s bail application earlier this month.
This was after Mr Mokhosi was charged with murdering PC Khetheng along with four police officers.
PC Khetheng died under mysterious circumstances after being arrested by his colleagues at a traditional feast in Sebothoane, Leribe on 25 March 2016.
Mr Mokhosi was released on 4 September 2017 and subsequently fled the country, joining other exiled opposition leaders who have cited assassination plots and alleged persecution by the government as reasons for fleeing.
The former minister issued a statement accusing the police of forcing him to confess to killing PC Khetheng while being interrogated.
Mr Mokhosi also accused the law enforcement agency of torturing him and coercing him to make a false statement before the Magistrates’ Court about the circumstances surrounding PC Khetheng’s death.
The Lesotho Mounted Police Service has since vehemently denied the allegations, saying the agency does not torture suspects.
