Maseru, Aug. 07 — Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) management should take responsibility for the assault of inmates, not the recruits.
This, was said by one of the military detainees who is former Lesotho Defence Force Captain, Litekanyo Nyakane when testifying before the Commission Of Inquiry on the escape of inmates, on how he was brutally assaulted by recruits on December 22 last year during the search exercise that was conducted at Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI).
Mr. Nyakane said the search exercise could not have been conducted immediately when inmates had escaped as it was clear that the people who would conduct it were angry due to the escape of inmates.
He clarified that LCS management did not handle this matter well as it was aware that it did not have strength to conduct the search exercise and search at the same time.
“Superiors should not shield themselves with the juniors “, he said, making an example that from what he heard, LCS management is shifting the blame on what happened during the search exercise to Chief Officer Rats’ele who was leading the search team yet the recruits overpowered him.
Mr. Nyakane further said the fact that he is continuing to find the names of people who assaulted him even though one Correctional Officer gave him a list of some, does not mean he is going to take revenge or legal action against them.
He said he was once a recruit and knows how they are. ” Recruits are still young, and they are not to blame as there are people who failed to do their job,” he stressed.
He therefore emphasised that LCS management should be blamed for the events of December 22, 2023 not the recruits.
Meanwhile, it was reported by the majority of inmates who testified before the Commission earlier that Mr. Nyakane was severely assaulted by the recruits based on the condition he was in when they found him at the clinic within the facility.
It was also reported that Mr. Nyakane and other military detainees were assaulted as they were denied to be searched; however the latter disputed that on grounds that they were never searched but were only assaulted.
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