Maseru High court Judge to sue Prime Minister

Maseru High court Judge to sue Prime Minister
Collins Atohengbe, South Africa

A Maseru High Court Judge is to sue the country’s Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili over the content of the report of a commission of inquiry, which looked into the circumstances surrounding the failed attempt on the life of the Prime Minister, two years ago.

Justice Maseforo Mahase is taking the step in respect of the report which questioned her handling of the matter when it was brought before her court for adjudication in June 2007 from a Magistrate Court.

Commission’s report

The report expressed some misgivings about Judge Mahase ruling on the case which subsequently enabled the gang leader, Makotoko Lerotholi and four others to be released after they were arrested and brought to court over the April 22, 2007 failed attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Mosisili.

The Chairman of the Commission, the retired Justice Jan Steyn contends that, had the high Court Judge not ordered the release of the accomplices in 2009, they would have been in jail and the second attempt in April 2007 would not have happened.

But in her defense, Justice Mahase said she could not hear the matter referred from a Magistrate Court because the appeal raised a constitutional issue following which she ordered that details of the proceedings be brought to the attention of the constitutional court.

Demands

Justice Mahase’s suite is demanding that aspects of the report, which seem to question her judgment and which may have cast some shadows on her integrity, should be deleted.

The substantive suite, which involves seven of those caught and extradited from South Africa to be tried in Lesotho, has been adjourned to the August 22, 2011 by a Maseru High Court.

Qasim