Man nabbed for selling land twice
Lerotho Letsatsi
MASERU – A 29-year-old Ha Motloheloa man appeared before Maseru magistrates on the 27 May on fraud charges after he allegedly sold the same piece of land to two people.
It is alleged that the suspect had some land in Masianokeng which he sold for M175 000 after obtaining the necessary documents from Maseru City Council (MCC) and the Land Administration Authority (LAA).
Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli said Thabane again approached his family to get more paperwork certifying he was heir to the same land.
It was when he approached the MCC to get documents that he intended to use to get a second lease on the same land from the LAA that he was arrested.
Thabane is accused of breaking section 83 (1) of the LAA. He failed to raise the M500 slapped on him and is still languishing in police custody.
Assistant PRO of MCC Khotso Makamo said the MCC demands proper identity documents and testimony from at least three family members that the claimant indeed owned land before releasing requisite documents.
They also have to produce a map for the land they were claiming.
Makamo appealed to prospective buyers to verify land ownership with the MCC before making any purchases to avoid being conned.
Preferably, the buyers should engage lawyers to safeguard their interests.
