Fatal drugging of son probed

LINEO MALATALIANA

MASERU – A post-mortem report which would direct police in their next steps to investigate the death of a 22-month-old Koalabata-boy, whose inebriated mother is alleged to have drugged him with home-brewed beer in an attempt to tame him, is still pending. It is alleged that on January 12, the woman from Litheneranteng in Koalabata, Berea was drinking alcohol together with six other women in the presence of their minor children when this bizarre incident occurred.

The women are said to have given the beer to their children in order to calm them, arguing that they were too boisterous. Shortly thereafter, the dead child started showing signs of discomfort, but his mother allegedly took him to a neighbouring traditional healer instead of a medical centre.

It is further alleged that the healer advised the mother to rush the ailing child to the hospital but she, instead, returned home with him, where he ended up dead. According to police spokesperson, Sub-Inspector ’Mareabetsoe Mofoka, the post-mortem report will guide their investigators on the right direction to take in the investigation of the peculiar death.

No arrests have since been made and investigations, Mofoka said are currently at an advanced stage.

Duo to be deported

LERIBE – Two illegal immigrants of Zimbabwean nationality aged 12 and 19 are expected to be deported back to their country of origin within a period of 30 days as per the instruction of a Leribe Magistrate’s Court.

The accused included Dennis Mofumo, 21, and his 19-year-old brother, Stanford. The duo appeared in the Leribe Magistrate’s Court on January 15, where they faced charges of being in Lesotho unlawfully.

After convicting them, the court slapped each man with a one-month jail term or to pay an optional fine of M20, which they paid. The magistrate instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is responsible for such matters, to make arrangements for the two brothers to be deported back to Zimbabwe within the stipulated 30-day period.

Man surrenders dad’s gun

MASERU – A Nazareth man who was in possession of an unlicensed 9mm pistol last week handed over the firearm to the police, claiming it belonged to his late father.

The police thereafter allowed the 36-year-old man to walk scot-free, as they could not readily ascertain his claim.

Police nab elusive fugitives

BEREA – Three fugitives who had been on the run since 2020 were apprehended by the police on January 18 during a police Zero Tolerance to Crime campaign that was held in the Berea villages of Mokhethoaneng, Ha Mokhele, Ha Jubile, Liphiring, Makola, Lekokoaneng, and Linokong. The fugitives included two men aged 34 and their 50-year-old compatriot.

The suspects, according to the police, were wanted for crimes committed since 2020, which included torture and threats of violence. During another campaign conducted in Malimong on January 21 by the Berea Police with the assistance of members of the Special Operations Unit (SOU), four suspects were arrested.

Two of the four men were wanted for rape, one for arson, and the fourth for illegal possession of dagga. SOU personnel and Maseru Police also conducted a similar campaign in Qoaling and later in Ha Mabote.

In Qoaling, they arrested six suspects, two for assault with intent to cause serious bodily harm, one for armed robbery, and the other three for murder.

The suspects had been released on bail by the Maseru Magistrate’s Court, but they simply disappeared without a trace afterwards. In Ha Mabote, police apprehended a total of nine suspects, aged between 18 and 40.

The suspects were wanted for theft, armed robbery, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and torture.