CRIME WATCH

Mohosi murder suspects nabbed

Lineo Malataliana

MASERU – Police investigations have led to the arrest of three men involved in the murder and robbery of the former director of the Disaster Management Authority (DMA), ’Makhotso Mahosi, and her 11-year-old son.  The crime took place at the deceased’s Ha Matala home on October 29.

The three suspects comprise Mahosi’s 44-year-old driver from Ha Fako, a 24-year-old man from Ha Ralejoe, and a 32-year-old man from Ha Molengoane. The police recovered two 9-mm pistols with erased serial numbers from the suspects. It is reported that the driver conspired with the two gunmen to carry out the crime on the grounds that Mahosi had a stash of cash hidden in her house.

The suspects were, however, only able to get M1, 500 from the deceased. The police have also recovered the deceased’s Mercedes-Benz, which the driver stole. The trio will appear in court once police investigations have been concluded.

Family in soup over abortions

MOKHOTLONG – A 58-year-old woman who allegedly assisted her 18-year-old granddaughter to carry out an unlawful abortion has been remanded in custody by the Magistrate’s Court after they both failed to pay M800 bail. ’Mamhlakala Lekhetho and her granddaughter Limakatso appeared in the same court on November 20 on charges of terminating a pregnancy.

They are set to re-appear in court on December 4. The duo appeared in the same court with ’Mamhlakala’s 28-year-old daughter, ’Motseng Lekhetho, on the same charges.

But ’Motseng was released after she managed to pay her M800 bail. Evidence before the court shows that the two younger women were both pregnant, and they colluded with the older woman to terminate their respective pregnancies.

After the abortions, the accused buried the foetuses in a dumping heap near their home. Police later exhumed the remains and reburied them at the local cemetery.

It emerged in court that ’Motseng, who is married, fell pregnant from an extramarital affair she had while she was in South Africa. The three then decided that Limakatso was too young to be a mother, hence the abortion.

Swindler appears in court

BEREA – A Lekokoaneng man who stole M3 000 on false pretence from a customer by pretending to be a tombstone maker is expected to appear in the Berea Magistrate’s Court on December 5.

Thabiso Letšeng, 33, of Ha Josiase made his maiden appearance in the same court on November 20 and was granted the option to pay a M2, 500 bail, which he failed to raise before he was sent to prison.

It is alleged that on November 14, a 35-year-old woman from Sehlabeng, Thuathe, approached the company that Letšeng works for to buy a tombstone.

The company is located in Lekokoaneng. Letšeng is alleged to have taken M3, 000 from the woman as payment for the tombstone that she wanted.

He is alleged to have also promised to deliver the tombstone to the customer a few days later.  When the delivery failed to come through, the customer returned to the stone business site to find out what was taking place.

But the woman discovered that Letšeng actually worked as a security guard at the firm, and the owner of the business had no idea of the transaction that occurred between the accused and the woman. The man was arrested on November 18 before he was hauled before court this week.