Tefo Tefo
THE prosecution says the police are still waiting for the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) to hand over firearms allegedly used in the fatal shooting of Sub-Inspector Mokheseng Ramahloko for ballistic examination.
Former LDF commander, Lieutenant-General Tlali Kamoli, has been charged with murdering Sub-Inspector Ramahloko during the 30 August 2014 attempted coup against the first government of Prime Minister Thomas Thabane.
In the murder charge, the former LDF chief was joined to three army officers who were charged last month and are detained at Maseru Central Prison.
Captain Litekanyo Nyakane (38), Lance Corporal Motloheloa Ntsane (34) and Lance Corporal Leutsoa Motsieloa (31) were also charged with contravening provisions of section 40(1) of the Penal Code Act No. 6 of 2010.
According to the charge sheet, the trio fatally shot Sub-Inspector Ramahloko on the chest on 30 August 2014 at police headquarters.
Sub-Inspector Ramahloko was killed during a predawn LDF raid on three Maseru police stations which the military claimed was meant to foil a Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) plan to arm civilians but widely dismissed as an attempt to topple a sitting government.
The 30 August 2014 raid was conducted soon after Dr Thabane fired Lt-Gen Tlali Kamoli as head of the LDF.
Lt-Gen Kamoli refused to go and deployed soldiers to raid and seize arms from police stations around Maseru. Lt-Gen Kamoli accused the LMPS of planning to give civilians firearms for use during a Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) street protest that was scheduled for 1 September 2014.
The LMPS has since denied allegations it had ever planned to arm civilians and Dr Thabane fled the country after receiving a tip off that his life was in danger. He would then only return the next month under heavy South African police guard.
Lt-Gen Kamoli first appeared before the Magistrate’s Court on 16 October, 2017 when he was told that he was being joined to three army officers in the murder charge.
The four appeared before the Magistrate’s Court on Friday on remand and it was then that Senior Crown Counsel, Lesaoana Mohale, told the Chief Magistrate, ‘Matankiso Nthunya, that he received a report from one police officer, Nyooko, that the investigating officers were still waiting for the guns alleged to have been used in the murder from the LDF for ballistic examination.
He was giving the court an update on the progress on the investigations of the case.
Lt-Gen Kamoli and his co-accused were remanded in custody and ordered to re-appear on remand on 10 November, 2017.
Lt-Gen Kamoli was also ordered to re-appear before the same court on the same day of 10 November 2017 to face separate charges.
He separately faces 14 counts of attempted murder over the 27 January 2014 simultaneous bombings of the Moshoeshoe II homes of First Lady Maesiah Thabane, ‘Mamoshoeshoe Moletsane and the Ha Abia residence of former police commissioner Khothatso Tšooana.
As part of investigations into the attacks, then police commissioner Tšooana had requested to interview eight LDF members, but Lt-Gen Kamoli refused to surrender the soldiers.
Meanwhile, Lt-Gen Kamoli has since filed his bail application before the High Court. In his bail application, the former army chief intents to call Dr Thabane and Mr Tšooana to testify on his behalf.
However, it was not yet clear at the time of going to press when the bail application would be heard because it was only allocated to a High Court judge, Justice Molefi Makara, on Friday.