Nat Molomo
MASERU — Human rights lawyer Haae Phoofolo is suing Moeketsi “Chaltin” Tsatsanyane, a prominent politician, over unpaid legal fees.
Phoofolo claims that Tsatsanyane owes him M9 115 after he represented his son, Mokherane Tsatsanyane, in the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court in the Free State province of South Africa in 2007.
Phoofolo also claims to have appeared for Mokherane in court while he was in exile in South Africa following the attack on ministers’ homes during the post-elections upheavals that rocked Lesotho in 2007.
Mokherane was one of the suspects who fled to South Africa.
According to a summons served at the Maseru Magistrates’ Court last August, Phoofolo claims “payment of the sum/balance of M9 115 in respect of service rendered by plaintiff to defendant”.
Court papers say despite the demand by Phoofolo, Tsatsanyane “refuses, fails or neglects to pay that amount already mentioned”.
Phoofolo further claims interest at a rate of 18.5 percent.
Tsatsanyane however denies in his reply in court papers that Phoofolo rendered any legal services to him.
He also says his son did not authorise the lawyer to act on his behalf.
“Defendant strongly avers that the plaintiff was acting as volunteer and or a Good Samaritan in the interest of his political party ABC,” says Tsatsanyane in the court papers.
“He publicly announced on radio that he was simply assisting the refugees of the ABC who, among others, was the plaintiff’s son.
“Members of the ABC were to contribute for his payment.”
Phoofolo however claims that Tsatsanyane gave him M1 500 as part-payment for his legal services.
But Tsatsanyane again denies the claim.
“The defendant has never gone to the office of the plaintiff to pay anything,” the papers state.
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