Maseru, Sept. 27 — After a case in which some army members are charged with the murder of Maaparankoe Mahao was on Tuesday adjourned while he was still in the witness box, Former Prime Minister Dr. Pakalitha Mosisili has on Friday gone back to the box and remains under cross-examination.
He has in his evidence in chief, among others, testified that in 2015, after the then army commander Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, who is one of the accused in this case, informed him about the death of Maaparankpoe Mahao he convened a meeting.
He stated that he summoned to the State House, the then Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Mothetjoa Metsing, the Minister of Defence Tseliso Mokhosi, Commissioner of Police (COMPOL) Molahlehi Letsoepa and Attorney General Tsokolo Makhethe.
He said during the meeting, he asked Kamoli to repeat what he told him and he indicated that Mahao was killed during a army operation in which he was to be arrested.
He stated that he then issued instructions that a team be formed by the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) to go and inform the Mahao family about the death of their son. He added that he also instructed the COMPOL to go full force into investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Mahao. He further added that he again instructed Kamoli that he should cooperate with the COMPOL regarding the issue. He remarked that the news of the passing of Mahao caused a lot of shock across the country hence he insisted that the COMPOL and the Army Commander should cooperate in establishing the circumstances under which Mahao died.
