Minister makes shocking revelation

’MATHATO SEBOKA

MASERU — Minister of Law and Justice, Richard Ramoeletsi, has said he has never received any written reports about the December 2023 prison chaos, nor was he told there were inmates that needed medical attention. In a startling revelation during the ongoing Commission of Enquiry, Minister Ramoeletsi, said he has never received any written reports regarding the assault of inmates, an incident that tragically led to the death of one inmate.

Instead, Ramoeletsi said all the information he received came verbally from the Commissioner of Lesotho Correctional Services (LCS), raising serious questions about the transparency and communication protocols within the correctional system.

The minister shared his experiences this week before the Commission, which is chaired by High Court Judge Realeboha Mathaba. The Commission was set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the escape of inmates and the subsequent assault that occurred in December 2023.

“The reports that I have been receiving have been verbal all the time from the Commissioner; it has always been a call where he would tell me that a number of inmates have escaped and this number were captured and that the other one lost his life. It is only when we meet where that he would elaborate what happened, but I have never received any written report in all the incidences,” said Ramoeletsi.

He further explained that he was the one who informed the public about the incident, as the Commissioner had not done so. “The public was never informed by the Commissioner; I think the public was informed by me when I came to the facility on December 22, 2023, after the incident and subsequent public information that was given by me.”

As Ramoeletsi recounted the events of December 22, the gravity of the situation became apparent. “I was shocked when we came to see what had happened at the facility,” he said, describing the unsettling experience of discovering that some inmates had been assaulted.

He recounted how one inmate, Captain Litekanyo Nyakane of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), revealed that others who were severely injured were left inside, and the minister was dissuaded from seeing them.

“The roar I heard from officers came to me that I should not insist on going inside to see other inmates; I thought maybe I should keep or maintain the dignity of officers and myself as their boss,” Ramoeletsi recalled.

The minister’s account paints a grim picture of a facility shrouded in secrecy, where truth is concealed even from the most senior officials. One of the most alarming aspects of Ramoeletsi’s testimony was the revelation that Bokang Tsoako, the inmate who died, had already passed away before leaving the Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI).

“On the assault of one inmate who ended up dying, we realised that the management did not inform the public that the inmate left this facility already dead; it was only the inmate who was with him that revealed that he was with the corpse in the vehicle,” Ramoeletsi said, adding that this was not the only instance where information was concealed.

Responding to questions by the Chairperson, the minister also touched on the fate of another inmate who later passed away, potentially due to the assaults.

“I heard his death in passing; it was not a formal conversation; I was not told what conditions that inmate died of,” he said, underscoring the lack of formal communication that has plagued this case.

Justice Mathaba, visibly concerned by these revelations, questioned the minister about the apparent absence of formal written reports. “Another interesting revelation is that up to now you do not have formal written reports. Considering the seriousness of this issue, I was forced to ask if that was normal that after such a serious incident, the minister does not have written reports,” the judge also said. Ramoeletsi acknowledged that this was not the standard procedure expected from such an institution.

“The management was expected to have made a report, but I see he did. He formed an internal commission that made a report. That is where he was wondering how he was going to get detailed information, but as a person, I was still expecting the commissioner to give me even a page or two report that explains what had happened.”

The situation becomes even more concerning as the Minister revealed that he was never informed about inmates needing medical attention outside of the facility, with some reportedly told to cover their own expenses.

“Every inmate in this facility is the responsibility of the facility for them to be taken to the doctor at the expense of the facility. It was not brought to my attention that there are inmates who needed to go for a scan, and funds they did not have were needed.”

The Commission of Enquiry is currently convening at the MCCI premises, probing the factors that led to six inmates escaping from prison on December 21, 2023, and the brutal assaults that occurred the following day.

The investigation is expected to shed light on the events that unfolded, the chain of command’s response, and the troubling lack of formal documentation that has come to characterise this case. As the enquiry progresses, the revelations made by Minister Ramoeletsi will only deepen the public’s concerns about the state of Lesotho’s correctional system.