Mohloai Mpesi
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Advocate Hlalefang Motinyane, has reported that there are still no suspects in the death of Ministry of Home Affairs procurement officer, Khahliso Soro, who was found dead near his home at Ha Seoli, Maseru, in 2018 after he had disappeared for seven days.
The startling revelation was brought to the attention of legislators during a National Assembly Question and Answer session by the Minister of Justice, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Justice Nthomeng Majara.
Justice Majara, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House in the National Assembly, was responding to an inquiry by HOPE leader, Machabana Lemphane Letsie.
Before his mysterious death, Mr Soro had been summoned before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), then chaired by Selibe Mochoboroane, on the 15th of August 2018 and grilled over allegations of misuse of public funds at his ministry. Three days after being quizzed Mr Soro disappeared and was subsequently found dead on the 9th of September 2018.
His wife, Nana Soro, said her husband had received a threatening call and the caller had asked why he had mentioned the name of the then Minister of Home Affairs, Joang Molapo, when he appeared before the PAC.
Mr Soro had told the committee that Mr Molapo had been responsible for the alleged mismanagement of finances at the home affairs ministry.
But, according to DPP Motinyane, in a report read-out by Justice Majara in response to Ms Lemphane-Letsie’s question, no suspect connected to Mr Soro’s murder has yet been identified as per the dockets and reports filed by the investigating officers of the Lesotho Mounted Police Services (LMPS).
“The reason why this matter took so long is because the police and the office of DPP were still working on it and a joint (final) answer will be provided once they have concluded their investigations,” Justice Majara said.
But the DPP had thus far reported that there were no firm suspects identified for the murder. She had returned the docket to the police for further investigations. When the docket was returned back on the 26th of October 2023, it still did not identify a suspect, the DPP had reported. A decision was yet to be made about whether Mr Soro was killed or committed suicide with another recommendation that an inquest into his death be instituted.
Mr Soro’s death comes in the wake of the brutal assassination Sunday evening of Disaster Management Authority (DMA) boss Caroline Mahosi and her 11 year old son at their home in Matala Phase 1, Maseru.
Ms Mahosi was murdered ahead of her return to the PAC where she was expected to testify about the looting of Covid-19 funds by the government’s top brass including politicians.
Her and Mr Soro’s deaths are grim reminders of the dangers facing witnesses appearing before the PAC.
Lesotho Defence Force (LDF)’s Major General Ramanka Mokaloba, recently appealed for the protection of witnesses appearing before the PAC. If his advice had been heeded, perhaps Ms Mahosi and her son would still be alive.
Unless something serious is done to guarantee them protection, many potential witnesses of the PAC will naturally be scared to cooperate with the important parliamentary body, imperilling its work in the process.
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