Tsitsi Matope
MASERU — A suspect in the M3 million robbery which occurred at the Roma post office over a month ago, drowned in the Robert Dam at Lakeside while fleeing from the police who were pursuing him.
Police last Tuesday could only watch helplessly as the suspect struggled to remain afloat before he drowned.
Three other suspects who were in a 4+1 taxi, where the now deceased had disembarked from before taking to his heels, were arrested on the same day.
“Police could not help the suspect because they too, could not swim. They informed our sub-aqua unit after the suspect had jumped into the dam but by the time they arrived, he had already drowned,” police spokesperson, Inspector Thato Ramarikhoane said.
He said police only managed to locate and retrieve the body on Wednesday.
Preliminary investigations showed a team of police officers pursued the four suspects at around 6pm on Monday following a tip-off that the quartet had a hand in the Roma robbery.
The chase started somewhere around Motimposo and heated up as the vehicles approached Lakeside where the suspects abandoned their car and tried to escape on foot.
According to the police, one of the suspects took the direction that led to the dam and was pursued by two officers while other officers chased the other three who took a different direction.
“When he got to the dam, the suspect hesitated before jumping into the water,” Ramarikhoane said.
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