—but the two dangerous criminals have not yet been arrested
Mohloai Mpesi / Mohalenyane Phakela
TWO fugitive former heads of security agencies, who ran away to South Africa in 2017, after allegedly committing a plethora of crimes, have returned to Lesotho.
Former Commissioner of Police, Molahlehi Letsoepa, and former Military Intelligence boss and National Security Services (NSS) Director General, Tumo Lekhooa, arrived in the country last Wednesday.
Colonel Lekhooa was wanted for murder in relation to the 25 June 2015 murder of former army commander, Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, as well as for treason over the 30 August 2014 attempted coup against the government of then Prime Minister Thomas Thabane.
Mr Letsoepa was wanted for the 26 March 2016 murder of Police Constable Mokalekale Khetheng.
All these cases are ongoing in the High Court after all other accused individuals were arrested in 2017. They have been in remand prison since. But Colonel Lekhooa and Mr Letsoepa had run away before they could be arrested.
Surprisingly, the two dangerous alleged criminals were not arrested upon their return.
When Col Lekhooa and Mr Letsoepa arrived in the country last Wednesday, they met with Minister of Law and Justice, Richard Ramoeletsi, who then facilitated their meeting with the incumbent Commissioner of Police, Borotho Matsoso.
Ramoeletsi confirms meeting
Mr Ramoeletsi confirmed meeting the duo in an interview with the Lesotho Times yesterday.
“I first received a call from them (Lekhooa and Letsoepa) two weeks ago, saying they wanted to come home and knew that they had cases to answer and did not have a problem with that,” Mr Ramoeletsi said.
“I then informed the Commissioner of Police, the NSS, and the Lesotho Defence Force commands about the issue. They (Lekhooa and Letsoepa) eventually came to my office last Wednesday. It should be clear that I did not fetch them anywhere, but they came by themselves here (in my office). They also met the Commissioner (Matsoso) the same day.
“I do not know what arrangement they made with the Commissioner. I cannot be involved there as it is his discretion to either arrest and detain them or decide to let them go and then call them later. But I can assure you that they are still in the country.
“I did not inform the DPP because I do not want to interfere with her work.”
However, Mr Ramoeletsi was also quick to clarify that there was no amnesty for the two in place.
“These men fall in the same category with Mr (Mothetjoa) Metsing, who had fled, and also Lehlanya (Sarele Sello), whose return to the country and subsequent charging were amicably done.
“There is no deal in place. Every Mosotho who has fled evading justice is at liberty to come back and make their plea. We are still expecting other Basotho in similar situations to come home and face the music.
“The executive has no influence whatsoever on whether they (Lekhooa and Letsoepa) are arrested and charged or let loose. You will recall that these people fled before we even got here (in power), so we have no business with them.”
Mr Metsing is one of the accused in the treason matter. Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane had on 6 December 2021 issued a warrant for Mr Metsing’s arrest after his failure to appear before court on that day.
Justice ‘Maliepollo Makhetha, who took over the trial after the Court of Appeal had on 14 May 2022 ordered Justice Sakoane to recuse himself from the case, subsequently joined Mr Metsing to the treason trial on 10 August 2022.
All this followed a deal brokered with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Hlalefang Motinyane, that Mr Metsing would, upon his return, be granted bail after being joined to former army commander Tlali Kamoli and other accused. Mr Metsing was then released on M50,000 bail and M100,000 surety.
The outspoken famo group leader, Lehlanya, surrendered to the Police Headquarters after learning that he was on their wanted list. The Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) had declared him a wanted person on 24 September 2024.
According to the LMPS notice, Lehlanya was accused of violating “Section 7 read with Sections 3 and 11 of the Internal Security Act No. 24 of 1984, and read with Legal Notice No. 40 of 2024 (Subversion).”
He was charged by the Maseru Magistrates Court for promoting his banned famo group, Terene ea Khosi Mokata, and disturbing national peace.
Lehlanya appeared before Magistrate Nkhethoa Molapo on 13 December 2024, who released him on his own recognizance (free bail) after slapping him with two counts of contravening provisions of the Internal Security (General) Act No. 24 of 1984 and Legal Notice No. 40 of 2024 (Declaration of unlawful organisations).
Questionable return
Mr Ramoeletsi dodged the question of whether Mr Metsing had facilitated Col Lekhooa and Mr Letsoepa’s return.
According to sources close to the developments, who sought anonymity for fear of reprisal, the two first met with Mr Metsing in Ladybrand, South Africa, on Tuesday last week, before meeting Mr Ramoeletsi the following day with Advocate Matsoso.
They again met with Adv Matsoso in his office at Police Headquarters in Maseru on Thursday.
“They were freed and told that they would be called when the police need them,” the source said.
A senior police officer, who sought anonymity, confirmed the allegations.
Matsoso denial
Contacted for comment, Adv Matsoso denied ever meeting Col Lekhooa and Mr Letsoepa.
“No, I have never met with them, and I have no knowledge that they are in the country. I have never met with those people. If people have to be arrested, I cannot stop that. They will have to be arrested if need be,” Adv Matsoso said.
Puzzled DPP Motinyane
DPP Motinyane, being the custodian of all prosecutions in the country, remains in the dark about the return of her “fugitives”.
While she had been expecting the arrest and/or extradition of Col Lekhooa and Mr Letsoepa, she told the Lesotho Times that she had not been informed about the latest developments.
“I don’t know anything about that. No one has informed me about that. The Commissioner has not informed me about Ntate Letsoepa and Ntate Lekhooa.
“I had to separate their trials because they had absconded. What I know I have is their warrants of arrest and I applied for their extradition. Apart from that, I know nothing. I have not been told anything.”
Col Lekhooa
According to the Crown’s opening statement in the treason and murder trial, Col Lekhooa played a crucial role in planning the coup against then-Prime Minister Thomas Thabane’s regime on 29 and 30 August 2014. He allegedly issued an intelligence report to Kamoli, claiming that members of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) were planning to arm Mr Thabane’s All Basotho Convention (ABC) youth to attack supporters of Mr Metsing’s Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) during an LCD protest scheduled for 1 September 2014.
Col Lekhooa also visited the then-Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation at the Southern African Development Community (SADC), retired Col Tanki Mothae, in Gaborone, Botswana. He was accompanied by then-army spokesperson, retired Brigadier Ntlele Ntoi. During their meeting, they allegedly informed Col Mothae that the ABC-led government was conspiring against the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) and that they would not allow any interference in the military.
While his exact role in Lt-Gen Mahao’s murder remains unclear, he was listed as the 10th accused in the case. He was serving as the head of the army’s military intelligence arm at the time of Lt-Gen Mahao’s murder.
Mr Letsoepa
According to the Crown’s opening statement in the trial of four police officers charged with the murder of PC Khetheng, the latter was arrested on 19 December 2015 in connection with the burning of a house of the police’s commanding officer in Mokhotlong. While in detention, he was allegedly visited by Mr Letsoepa.
PC Khetheng was released on bail two weeks later. However, in March 2016, further arson attacks occurred, including the burning of the Hlotse Pitso House, a guesthouse in Hlotse, a residence in Maputsoe, and a U-Save store in Butha-Buthe. He was again suspected of involvement.
A few days later, Mr Letsoepa visited then-Hlotse Police Station Commander Thabo Tšukulu, one of the accused in the Khetheng murder case. Shortly after, on 26 March 2016, PC Khetheng was arrested at a feast in Sebothoane, Leribe, and taken to Hlotse Police Station, where he allegedly disappeared.
His father, Thabo Khetheng, filed a habeas corpus (body discovery) application in the High Court, which Mr Letsoepa and Senior Superintendent Tšukulu opposed. Mr Letsoepa later informed then-Police Minister Monyane Moleleki that PC Khetheng had escaped from Hlotse Police Station and was believed to be in South Africa or Botswana. He also instructed that all inquiries related to the disappearance be directed to him.
On 27 March 2016, an unidentified body was discovered in Ha Setho, Mokhalinyane, Maseru, and was later buried with other unidentified bodies. This body was later exhumed at Lepereng on 4 August 2017 and identified as PC Khetheng.
By then, Mr Letsoepa was no longer Police Commissioner and had fled the country. He also withdrew his opposition to the habeas corpus application. He was subsequently accused of involvement in the murder.
It would be a monumental miscarriage of justice if the two are not arrested and made to answer for their alleged crimes. They were involved in the crimes during one of the most traumatic periods in Lesotho’s history when security agencies, particularly the army, acted with impunity and perpetrated gross rights violations.
