Maseru-None of the recruits, who were recognized on the footage by the Officer who led the search team, have acknowledged assaulting inmates.
The recruits, who are now Correctional Officers denied hitting inmates when cross examining Chief Officer Tololi Ratšele before the Commission Of Inquiry on the escape of inmates, after he identified them on the footage which highlighted the search exercise that was conducted at Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI) on December 22, 2023, which led to assault of inmates, leaving one paralysed.
Some of these recruits claimed that Chief Officer Ratšele must have mixed up them with other people while others denied being in certain blocks conducting the search on the above mentioned date.
Moreover, other recruits whom Ratšele said he saw assaulting one of the soldier inmates, Sebilo Sebilo also denied beating him up.
Still, Chief Officer Ratšele maintained he saw some of the recruits who cross examined him assaulting inmates, saying he even withdrew the sticks from some recruits who used them to beat inmates.
“I am the one who divided the recruits into two groups and know where the recruits I recognized searched,” he stressed.
In the meantime, the recruits who cross examined Chief Officer Ratšele on Monday morning were about 15 and are expected to give evidence before the Commission later on.
It may be clear that most of the inmates were beateninside prison cells where there are no cameras as the latter only featured what occurred along the passages inside blocks.
On the other hand, The Commission of Inquiry on the escape of inmates is expected to make a written report and submit it to the Prime Minister by September 30, 2024. This is according to Legal notice number 88 (Amendment) of 2024.
On top of that, the Commission’s Chairperson Justice Realeboha Mathaba also publicized on Wednesday morning that the Commission is expected to complete its work by September 30, 2024.
The Commission was given three months to complete the work, however Justice Mathaba earlier specified that the Commission failed to proceed on May 10 this year because they delayed starting as it was only on April 16 when he was given the terms and reference of the Commission and the time had already gone.
“The Commission did not resume on the date stipulated on the gazette because other work had to be done before evidence was provided hence had to commence on May 13,” he added. The three months period ended on August 13 and has been extended to above mentioned date, as per gazette.
The Commission, which is established in line with the Public Inquiries Act of 1994 shall amongst others, examine, appraise, and evaluate the security measures within Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS), investigate on the instances around operations undertaken by members of LCS staff after the escape of inmates as well as to investigate and determine the circumstances that led to the use of force during the search operation. The government is expected to spend over M2 million on the Commission of Inquiry.
