Nthatuoa Koeshe
Leribe
A LERIBE woman (35) from Tsikoane Leralleng has been nabbed along with two other accomplices for allegedly murdering her husband to access life insurance premiums.
The trio was arrested on 7 September 2018 for the murder which was committed on the 6th of this month.
The woman and her 32-year-old friend allegedly hired a 26-year-old hit man from Leshoele in the same district to murder her husband. The police said the assassin was promised M5000 to kill the woman’s husband.
Indications are that the body of the man was found in a bush on the morning of 7 September 2018.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli said the wife asked her 32-year-old friend to invite the now deceased husband to a bar spike his drink using brake fluid which would make him sick so that the assassin would kill him on his way home as he would be weak. (Brake fluid contains toxic alcohol diethylene glycol which can be fatal if swallowed. The chemical is odourless and colourless.)
Supt Mopeli said the mission was executed successfully and the man was found with wounds which showed that he was stabbed with a screw driver.
The assassin was found with the deceased’s phone and eventually led to the arrest of the wife and the other accomplice.
The trio is expected in court once the investigations are completed.
Qacha’s Nek
Four Chinese men on 6 September 2018 escaped prison after they paid M1000 fine each when they were found guilty of working in the country without work permits.
The Qacha’s Nek Magistrate’s Court initially sentenced the four to four months in prison each with an option of a M1000 fine which they all managed to pay.
According to Supt Mopeli, the men were arrested during police investigations into foreigners working without proper documentation.
Maseru
An employee of the ministry of Social Development was on 6 September arrested for raping a 21-year-old woman.
Reports show that the 56-year-old man who resides in Ha Pita Maseru, gave a lift to the victim who asked him to drop her off at one of the factories in Ha Thetsane and he agreed. He however, allegedly drove towards Masowe and took the woman to Ha Tikoe in a secluded place where he raped her.
Police officers who were nearby rescued the woman and the suspect was taken to the police station.
The man is now expected in court as soon as an order is provided by the Magistrate’s Court as he is a civil servant.
In an unrelated matter, three people were killed in Lithoteng in the Maseru district when four armed men budged into a traditional healer’s house and indiscriminately opened fire on the occupants on 5 September 2018.
The police said on the 5th of this month at 9:30pm four men entered the house and demanded to see the owner of the house and immediately opened fire at the people in the house. Three people died on the spot while two others were severely injured.
Without mentioning the sexes, Supt Mopeli said the deceased included a 7-year-old, a 23-year-old and a 29-year-old while the injured victims are aged 13 and 30.
He said injured duo were taken to hospital where they were treated and discharged.
Supt Mopeli said some of the victims were patients while others were the children of the traditional healer.
He appealed to members of the public to assist with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects.
Thaba Tseka
A 73-year-old man from Thabong 1 in the Thaba Tseka district was on 7 September 2018 ordered to pay M5000 fine for losing his firearm.
The man was initially sentenced to five years in prison but was given an option of paying a M5000 fine which he managed to pay. His firearm licence was also revoked as this was the second time that he has lost the gun.
Supt Mopeli said it was important for anyone with a gun to keep it safe as losing it was an offence.
He said the law states that anyone who owns a gun should have it with them or instead have a safe place to keep it.
Instead, he said, those who can no longer keep their firearms secure must hand them over to the police. at all times have it with him and they should have a safe place to keep it.
