Kamoli, Soldiers Win Delay in Mahao Murder Trial

MASERU

The long-running trial of nine soldiers, including army boss Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, who are accused of murdering Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) commander Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, has once again been postponed.

The defence team, appearing in the High Court this week, successfully asked for more time to prepare their case and to secure witnesses before their clients take the stand. This request came shortly after the court dismissed an earlier attempt by the accused to be acquitted without entering their defence.

One of the defence lawyers, Advocate Silas Ratau, told the court that the accused soldiers do not want to testify immediately. Instead, they plan to call witnesses to testify on their behalf first. He explained, however, that the intended witnesses were not yet available and without them the defence would not be ready to proceed. 

“The accused intend to call witnesses before taking the stand themselves. Unfortunately, those witnesses are not available at the moment,” Ratau said.

He argued that forcing the accused to testify without those witnesses would weaken their case and therefore asked the court for a postponement. Attorney Qhalehang Letsika, also representing some of the accused, supported the request. 

He told the court that a delay would give the defence more time to consult thoroughly and prepare a proper defence strategy.

Interestingly, the request for postponement was not opposed by the prosecution. State prosecutor Advocate RethabileSetlojoane did not challenge the application, effectively allowing the defence some breathing space. 

With no objections before him, the presiding judge agreed to the postponement. The trial will now resume in the New Year, running from January 12 to January 30, 2026.

The decision adds yet another chapter to a case that has dragged on for years. Mahao was killed in June 2015 near his home in Mokema in an incident that shocked the nation and drew international criticism. 

According to reports, Mahao was ambushed and shot by fellow soldiers who claimed they were carrying out an arrest order. His death sparked outrage and led to a regional commission of inquiry, which later recommended prosecutions.

Since then, the case has been in and out of the courts, often delayed by legal battles, procedural applications, and logistical setbacks. 

This week’s postponement means that the accused, including Kamoli, once considered one of the most powerful men in the army, will spend several more months waiting to give their side of the story.

The request for postponement comes just after the same accused lost their bid to be acquitted. They had argued that the prosecution had not provided enough evidence to prove their involvement in Mahao’s killing. 

But High Court judge Justice Charles Hungwe disagreed. In a ruling delivered earlier this week, he said the state had established a prima facie case, meaning that there was enough evidence requiring the accused to answer to the charges.

“The court is satisfied that the threshold has been met,” the judge said in his ruling. 

“There is a case for the accused to answer.” 

That ruling meant the nine soldiers had no choice but to prepare their defence.