Nthatuoa Koeshe

Couple allegedly defrauds govt of M547 000

Quthing

QUTHING couple, Teboho Lepule (45) and his wife Maretšepile Lepule (36) will on Tuesday appear in court to face charges of defrauding the government of M547 000.

The couple runs the Mountain Sight Hotel in Quthing and it is the state’s case that early this year, the government booked the hotel for the national reforms workshops. However, the hotel failed to accommodate all the guests and came up with an alternative plan to accommodate some of the guests in home-stays.

The state alleges that despite the homestays costing M150 per head per day, the couple charged the government M750 which the hotel charges per day. As a result of the overpricing of the homestays, the state says the government was prejudiced of M547 000.

The couple, who were released on free bail on 31 July 2019, are expected back in court on Tuesday.

Qacha’s Nek

A 71-year-old Qacha’s Nek man who allegedly had sexual intercourse with a minor a 14-year-old girl from the same district was on 25 July 2019 was remanded in custody.

The police told this publication that the victim lives with her 90-year-old grandmother and they are neighbours with the alleged perpetrator.

It is the state’s case that sometime in January 2019, the 71-year-old man allegedly asked the victim to bath his three-year-old grandchild. While the victim was bathing the child, the suspect noticed that the girl was not wearing any underwear and asked her for sexual intercourse in exchange for M10 and she agreed.

This according to the police, marked the start of a sexual relationship and the affair only came to light after it was reported to the police by fellow villagers who had noticed that the minor kept going to the suspect’s house.

In another development, a 24-year-old man who resides in Bobeng was on 31 July arrested for murdering his wife on 27 July.

The police said the man arrived at his home at 10pm on the day to find his wife insulting his mother.

He allegedly beat her with a fighting stick until she died. The police said he would appear in court once the investigations are completed.

Maseru

Tšeliso Mohapi (30) from Ha-‘Nelese, Maseru was on 1 July remanded in custody after appearing in court for armed robbery.

It is alleged that on 24 June, the suspect and an accomplice, who is still on the run, robbed a public bar in Lekhaloaneng at gun point. The police said the duo asked revellers to lie down and demanded money from the 45-year-old proprietor.

Mr Mohapi will appear in court again tomorrow.

Mohale’s Hoek

The police have appealed youths to reduce their intake of alcohol. The appeal comes after two incidents of gang rape in Mohale Hoek.

The police said one of the women was on her way to the bar when five men attacked her and gang-raped her.

In a separate incident, the same gang is alleged to have attacked a woman and her boyfriend while on their way from a different bar in the same area. It is alleged that the man was beaten up before his girlfriend was raped.

The police also appealed to the public to report any information that may lead to the arrest of the gang.