Maseru, June 28 — Assistant Superintendent Telang Masiloane has finally admitted being in the Seagent Office where the late Bokang Tsoako was brutally assaulted by other officers.
This, after he denied being at the Sergeant Office after one inmate by the name of Heqoa disclosed he was there although he is a senior officer, who was entrusted to protect the deceased.
Assistant Superintendent Masiloane made a confirmation before the Commission Of Inquiry when testifying on the events of December 21 and 22, 2023 after he watched the footage on what happened upon arrival of the deceased at Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI).
He is even featured in this footage and seen standing inside and outside of the Sergeant Office.
He indicated that he went into the Sergeant Office to see the inmate, whom he said was seated down and looked scared, confirming he was beaten in his presence.
However, he denied seeing recruits assaulting inmates during the general search exercise that was undertaken at MCCI on December 22.
“I only heard people crying when I passed cells inside the maximum tower” he stressed, saying he however ordered the Chief Officer who supervised recruits in the search exercise to tell them to stop assaulting inmates.
Asked if torture is culture at the facility as disclosed earlier by other officers, he said it seemed to be in the blood of officers and do not know how it could be rooted out indicaing that when he joined Lesotho Correctional Service in 1999, they were protecting inmates but recently, time and nations do not allow that.
Meanwhile, the Commission Of Inquiry Chairperson Justice Realeboha Mathaba reminded Assistant Superintendent Masiloane before interrogating him that his credibility is important as a senior officer and that lying under oath is a crime and worse than being found guilty of negligence or disciplinary offence.
The Commission Of Inquiry is continuing to interrogate officers who appear on the footage which shows how the late Bokang Tsoako and Seboka Motumi were brutally assaulted by Lesotho Correctional Service Officers after being re-captured from the escape.
