Soldier claims treason charges were fabricated

…allegedly by police after he refused to pin Ramahloko murder on Nyakane

Moorosi Tsiane

INCARCERATED Lance Corporal (L/Cpl) Leutsoa Motsieloa has claimed that police charged him in the treason case because he refused to falsely implicate Captain Litekanyo Nyakane in the fatal shooting of police Sub-Inspector Mokheseng Ramahloko during the attempted coup in the early hours of August 2014 when soldiers under former army commander Tlali Kamoli raided police stations.

The allegations emerged in the High Court this week during the ongoing treason and attempted murder trial involving Kamoli, politicians Mothetjoa Metsing and Selibe Mochoboroane, and two soldiers, L/Cpl Motsieloa and L/Cpl Motloheloa Ntsane.

The trial is before Justice ‘Maliepollo Makhetha.

Sub-Insp Ramahloko was shot and killed in the early hours of 30 August 2014 at Police Headquarters in Maseru when soldiers, under Kamoli’s command, raided several police stations in Maseru in what was said to be a mission to disarm the police.

The army had claimed it received intelligence reports that the weapons were to be handed to youth members of then Prime Minister Thomas Thabane’s All Basotho Convention (ABC) to attack supporters of Metsing’s Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).

The attempted coup took place on the night of 29 August until early 30 August 2014. Mr Thabane had dismissed Kamoli as army commander earlier on 29 August 2014.

Metsing, Kamoli and their co-accused face a raft of charges, including treason, attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), and alternative counts relating to the risk of injury or death and aggravated assault involving Letsekang Mothibeli, Sub-Inspector Kamoho Mahanetse, Lance Sergeant Thabisa Kopa, Lance Sergeant Shaabe Thamae, Sergeant Mokete Litulo and Police Constable Mone.

During cross-examination of Sub-Inspector Mahanetse, defence lawyer Advocate (Adv) Napo Mafaesa, representing L/Cpl Motsieloa, put it to the witness that his client was not responsible for Ramahloko’s death.

“Accused number four (Motsieloa) will tell this court that he did not shoot Ramahloko that night,” Adv Mafaesa submitted.

The lawyer further told Sub-Inspector Mahanetse that his client maintains he was charged after refusing to support a version of events that implicated Captain Nyakane.

“He further instructs me that the reason he was charged was because the police wanted him to implicate Nyakane and say he was inside the headquarters when the shooting happened, whereas he (Nyakane) was outside the building at that time. That is why he is being charged,” Adv Mafaesa told the court.

The defence also relied on a statement allegedly made by Private Ntsabiseng Masa, which they argued supports L/Cpl Motsieloa’s version of events.

“Private Ntsabiseng Masa’s statement is clear that L/Cpl Motsieloa says they had an opportunity to see exactly what happened because he had moved ahead of the rest of the team and was in the right position to witness everything that happened,” Adv Mafaesa said.

However, Sub-Inspector Mahanetse firmly rejected the allegations.

Another defence lawyer, Adv Lepeli Molapo, representing L/Cpl Motsieloa, accused Sub-Inspector Mahanetse of withholding crucial information about the circumstances under which Ramahloko was killed.

“You are concealing the truth that the deceased was in the corridor when he was shot. He was not at the door as you purport,” Adv Molapo charged.

He further argued that the evidence suggested Ramahloko was involved in an exchange of gunfire with soldiers before he was fatally wounded.

“Accused number five says that it would not have been possible to shoot the deceased at close range with a rifle. I put it to you that you are concealing this important aspect, that Ramahloko was in the corridor facing the office of the Commissioner of Police and you are deliberately doing that because Ramahloko shot at the soldiers and there was crossfire,” Adv Molapo submitted.

Sub-Inspector Mahanetse denied the allegations, insisting that Ramahloko was not firing at anyone when he was shot.

He maintained that the deceased was standing at the door of the radio room when he was fatally wounded, and not in the corridor as claimed by the defence.

The trial continues.

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