Ntsoaki Motaung
Three men aged between 29 and 32 are in custody awaiting finalisation of their trial in regards to armed robbery charges severed against them by the Maseru Magistrate Court.
According to police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, the trio was part of a group of six which carried out an armed robbery next to Mofumahali oa Tlholo in Maseru on March 15, where a 53-year-old Chinese businessman was robbed off M90 000.
“Lekanyane Lefu, 32, from Tsoilitsoili in the district of Berea, appeared before the Maseru Magistrate Court on 19 March, while Hopolang Mosoang aged 29 from Lithabaneng Lefikeng and Simon Loi, 32, from Nazareth Mohlakatuka appeared before the magistrate court on the 29th. All of them are accused of armed robbery,†Mopeli said.
He indicated that they await trial in custody and will appear in court today, April 9, 2021.
Meanwhile, 34-year-old Tšitso Kori of Qacha’s Nek appeared before the Magistrate Court of Qacha’s Nek charged with human trafficking. Police reports indicate that he lured his victim to his abode with pretense of offering her and organised her transportation from Mokhotlong to Qacha.
“The victim explained that she needed help finding a job, so she used Facebook posts for the search, that is where Kori promised to pay her M800 per month as a domestic work, which is when the victim decided to take the job and go to Qacha’s Nek. The bus fare for the victim was paid by the suspect and upon her arrival she was taken to a single room, and when she asked where she was going to sleep the suspect told her they were in fact going to sleep together, that was when the victim raised alarm and ended up sleeping at the neighbours next door. The following day the neighbours and the community members took the victim to the police to report the matter, following which Kori was arrested and charged by the magistrate’s court where he was released on M1000 bail,†he said.