Moorosi Tsiane
THE rogue behaviour of police officers continues to pile woes on Commissioner of Police, Holomo Molibeli, who has once again been dragged to court by victims of alleged police brutality.
Latest on Commissioner Molibeli’s table are a combined half a million lawsuits from Maputsoe man, Lesole Nkholisa, and a Maseru woman, Madorisi Ntsie.
The two plaintiffs (Nkholise, Ntsie) are each demanding compensation of M250 000 from the police boss and Attorney General Rapelang Motsieloa who are the two defendants in both summons.
According to the court papers filed by Mr Nkholise in the High Court, sometime in July 2023 at Ha Nyenye in Maputsoe, he was unlawfully and wrongfully assaulted by the police while one woman police officer was sitting on top of him.
Although Mr Nkholise does not explain why he was allegedly assaulted by the police, he argues that he sustained serious bodily injuries as a result of such an assault.
He therefore holds Commissioner Molibeli and Advocate Motsieloa liable for the damages, claiming that such police officers assaulted him during the scope of their work.
“As a result of the foregoing unlawful and wrongful assault I sustained serious bodily injuries and had to undergo medical treatment, suffered contumelia and suffered trauma,” said Mr Nkholise.
He therefore claims he suffered damages to the tune of M250 000 which he has already demanded from Commissioner Molibeli through a letter which he says was ignored by the police chief.
He therefore prays for judgement of M50 000 for contumelia as well as M200 000 for pain, shock and suffering.
On the other hand, Ms Ntsie is also demanding M200 000 for pain and suffering, M49 500 00 for contumelia and M500 for medical expenses.
This is after she was allegedly subjected to unlawful assault and torture by the police at her residential home in Ha-Mabote on 20 October 2023.
According to Ms Ntsie, the police had raided her home to arrest her husband who was suspected to have committed an unmentioned crime. She claims the police officers assaulted her together with the husband with fighting sticks and also clapped her.
“The assault took place in the vicinity of many people. As a result of that assault, I suffered damages among others; pain and suffering, medical expenses and loss of dignity. The police officers were on duty and within the scope of their employment at that time,” Ms Ntsie argues.
She said her letter of demand was also ignored hence her reason of seeking the High Court’s intervention.
Mr Nkholisa and Ms Ntsie’s lawsuits come just a week after Commissioner Molibeli was slapped with an M8 million lawsuit by a widow, ‘Makhothalo Mohloko, who alleges her husband, Mahloko Mohlori, died while in police custody at Thaba-Tseka Police Station after he was arrested on 28 July last year.
Numerous other lawsuits have been launched against the police boss over the behaviour of his officers over the years.
