Bribes and contraband rule prison underworld

’MATHATO SEBOKA

MASERU — In the shadowy corners of the Maseru’s correctional facility, the scent of corruption lingers.  Beneath the clinking of keys and the familiar shuffle of feet is a hidden game of manipulation and bribery. Inmates, locked away from society, are finding creative ways to bend the rules, often pulling unsuspecting officers into their schemes.

This week, a shocking revelation surfaced during the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into prison misconduct. Thabiso Jane, a recruit officer, stepped forward with a testimony that would unravel a web of deceit involving a group of inmates attempting to bribe him with tobacco to avoid being implicated in an assault case. The incident dates back to a conversation Jane had with a fellow officer at the prison’s Sentry post.

It was during this seemingly ordinary exchange that an inmate called Montši, approached Jane with a proposition. Montši is said to have motioned Jane aside asking to chat to him in private for a short while. Little did Jane know that this conversation would plunge him into the murky underworld of prisoner manipulation.

Montši, it turned out, had a task that day: he was ferrying written statements from his fellow inmates to one of the officers, presumably Officer Mosala. These statements, Jane suspected, were meant for the Commission of Inquiry. What Montši revealed next, however, was more unsettling.

“He asked me if I had heard how much they protected Sepiriti Malefane when they testified before the Commission,” said Jane as he testified before the commission this week. The implication was clear—Malefane had somehow gained the inmates’ favour, perhaps by offering them something in return for their silence.

It was not long before Jane reported this suspicious conversation to his superior, Chief Officer Tololi Ratšele, seeking advice on how to handle the situation. Ratšele’s advice was simple but clear: report the matter to the right authorities before things spirall out of control. Jane took the advice to heart, knowing that the stakes were high.

As the days passed, Jane’s suspicions deepened. Montši, it appeared, was hiding certain documents, deliberately withholding some of the statements that were meant to be handed over to the Commission. “He came and looked like he hid some of the papers and gave only a few to the officer, offering a vague excuse about missing signatures,” Jane recounted.

The entire situation reeked of deceit. But the most alarming part of the plot was yet to be uncovered. Montši was not working alone. According to Jane, there was a more elaborate plan in place: a group of inmates from Cell 22 had banded together, demanding tobacco in exchange for their silence. If Jane did not comply, they threatened to expose him for an alleged assault.

“They told me they would withhold their statements if I gave them tobacco,” Jane testified. Faced with this extortion attempt, Jane realised he needed a more calculated approach. He confided in Sergeant Nkhapetla, who suggested they set a trap for the inmates by supplying the tobacco as bait. Jane agreed, and the wheels of the sting operation were set in motion.

“I went out and bought a carton of Boss tobacco, knowing that this was the currency of choice for the inmates,” Jane explained. With the bait in hand, he headed to the prison’s Centre block. Montši, always aware of Jane’s movements, signalled that it was safe to proceed.

What Montši did not know was that Nkhapetla had already been informed, and the trap was about to close. Jane stood in view of the prison’s security cameras, making sure that every move would be captured. “I wanted the camera to see me clearly,” he said. He testified that Montši and another inmate, Pusetso, minutes later approached. Pusetso, playing the role of lookout, nodded subtly, signalling that everything was in place.

The commission heard how Jane then asked Montši how much tobacco he needed. Montši confirmed that a full carton, containing 10 packs of 20 cigarettes each, was the price. Jane, dressed in his combat uniform, counted out the packs in full view of the cameras. In exchange, Monti handed over the documents — the very papers he had been withholding.

The transaction complete, Jane immediately reported back to his superiors, confirming that the sting operation had been successful. “After I gave him the tobacco and received the papers, I went straight to Station Commander Manaka’s office to report everything,” he said. Nkhapetla, waiting in the wings, swooped in to confiscate the tobacco before it could disappear into the depths of the prison underworld.

“I think Nkhapetla waited for me to leave before he entered the block. If the tobacco had made it inside, it would have been impossible to recover,” Jane explained.

Fortunately, the plan had worked, and the incriminating evidence — the documents and the tobacco — were safely in the hands of Manaka. But what happened to Montši and his accomplices after their capture remains unclear. Jane’s last sighting of the inmate was near the prison’s main gate.

“I saw him wearing a blanket, but I did not want him to know that I was aware of his capture,” Jane said.  For Jane, this harrowing experience was a sobering reminder of the dangers correctional officers face every day. Bribery, manipulation, and extortion are just some of the tactics inmates use to bend the system in their favour.