MASERU-The High Court has granted bail to Khutlang Mochesane, the last of four accused persons charged with the attempted murder of former Lesotho Times and Sunday Express editor Lloyd Mutungamiri, bringing all suspects in the long-running case out of custody.
Justice Molefi Makara this week ordered Mochesane’s release on bail under conditions similar to those imposed on his co-accused, who had already been freed.
Mochesane had remained the only accused still in custody after Brigadier Rapele Mphaki and Lance Corporal Maribe Nathane were granted bail in December 2025, while Nyatso Tsoeunyane was released on bail this week too.
The four men are jointly charged with attempted murder following a shooting incident in which Mutungamiri sustained serious injuries nearly a decade ago.
In granting bail, the court ordered Mochesane to pay a bail deposit of M2, 000 and to secure a surety of M10, 000. He was also instructed to attend all remand hearings and stand trial whenever required by the court.
Justice Makara further warned the accused not to interfere with state witnesses during the course of the proceedings.
As part of the bail conditions, Mochesane was ordered to report himself to the Maseru Central Charge Office on his remand dates and to surrender his passport to the Clerk of the Magistrate’s Court.
The granting of bail to Mochesane means that all four accused in the matter are now out on bail while awaiting the continuation of the case.
The bail applications by the accused were largely motivated by delays in the prosecution of the matter, which has been stalled due to developments within the judiciary.
During their applications, the accused argued that the progress of the case has been uncertain following the suspension of the magistrate who had been presiding over the matter.
Senior Resident Magistrate Peter Murenzi, who was handling the case, was suspended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) after allegations of misconduct were raised against him.
Following his suspension, the JSC directed that all case files which were under his authority be locked away pending further decisions. As a result, several cases that were before him have not been able to proceed in court.
The accused therefore approached the court seeking bail, arguing that the delays were beyond their control and that they should not remain in custody indefinitely while the matter remains stalled.
Earlier this week, Nyatso Tsoeunyane became the third accused to be released on bail after his application was considered by the court.
Like his co-accused, Tsoeunyane was ordered to pay a bail deposit of M2, 000 and to secure a surety of M10, 000.
He was also instructed to surrender all travelling documents to the Clerk of the Court.
In addition, he was ordered to report himself to the Maseru Central Charge Office every two weeks as part of the conditions attached to his release.
The court emphasized that the accused must comply with all bail conditions and ensure that they attend all future court appearances related to the case.
The accused persons, Mphaki, Nathane, Tsoeunyane and Mochesane face charges of contravening Section 22(1), read together with Section 109 of the Penal Code Act No. 6 of 2010.
According to the charge sheet, the four allegedly acted in concert or with a common purpose when they attacked Mutungamiri.
It is alleged that on July 9, 2016, at or near Ha Thamae in Maseru, the accused shot Mutungamiri and inflicted serious injuries on him.
The shooting of the veteran journalist attracted widespread attention at the time and raised concerns about the safety of media practitioners in the country.
Mutungamiri, who was the editor of the Lesotho Times and Sunday Express, survived the attack but sustained severe injuries.
The case has since been moving slowly through the courts, with various procedural developments contributing to delays over the years.
The suspension of Magistrate Murenzi has further complicated the situation, leaving uncertainty about when the trial will resume.
In this instance, the accused argued that the indefinite delay created uncertainty about the future of the case and justified their applications for bail.
The court ultimately agreed to release all four accused persons on bail while awaiting further developments in the matter.
Although they are now out of custody, the accused are still required to appear in court whenever the case resumes.
They also remain bound by the conditions imposed by the court, including the obligation not to interfere with witnesses and to comply with reporting requirements.
The prosecution is expected to proceed with the matter once the administrative issues affecting the case are resolved.
For now, the future of the trial remains uncertain as the judiciary continues to deal with the implications of the suspension of the magistrate who had been presiding over the case.
Until then, the four accused will remain on bail while awaiting the next direction from the courts regarding the continuation of the attempted murder trial.
