Tefo Tefo

A 45-year-old man from Matsieng avoided imprisonment after paying a M2000 fine for possessing a 7.65 pistol without the necessary documents allowing him to have the firearm.

Taelo Ntabo was arrested on 22 March this year at his home and slapped with a two-year jail term by the Maseru Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. However, he was given an option to pay a fine of M2000 to avoid jail, which he paid.

He had pleaded guilty to the charge.

Prosecutor Gcinimusi Tsabalala told the court if had pleaded not guilty, evidence would have shown that on 22 March 2016, Detective Police Constable Liphoto of the Special Operations Unit (SOU) received a tip-off that Ntabo had a firearm.

He said Constable Liphoto and other officers went to Ntabo’s home and found a firearm in the presence of one Bokang Ntabo and Chief Molatoli.

Mr Chabalala told the court that Ntabo was asked to produce a certificate for the firearm and when he failed to do so, he was arrested.

“He was therefore charged and the firearm seized,” he said.

In mitigation, Ntabo asked the court to be lenient when imposing a sentence on him.

“May this court be lenient on me because I take care of the whole family and also because I cooperated with police investigations,” he said.

The case was before Magistrate ‘Mamorojele Qoo.