Lesotho police call in ministers for questioning over Thabane's wife's murder
Lesotho police say they have received tip offs on the whereabouts of the country's first lady who is wanted in connection with murder.
Maesaiah Thabane, 43, the wife of prime minister Tom Thabane, has been on the run for two weeks now since a warrant of her arrest was issued. She is believed to have skipped Lesotho into SA but police could not confirm this.
The first lady was initially summoned by police to answer questions on the investigation into the death of Thabane’s late estranged wife Lipolelo who was killed in 2017.
“To date we have received tips of where she could be but all those that we have followed so far have not yielded any positive results. We are still working on other processes to engage the Interpol, but for now we have only issued a notice of wanted person locally," said police spokesperson Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli on Tuesday.
“We have called in a few people already in connection to her going missing but I am not in a position to disclose their names because we need to give them witness protection.”
The 43 year old ‘Maesaiah, also known by her maiden names Liabiloe Ramoholi is suspected of being behind Lipolelo's killing which took place just two days ahead of Thabane's inauguration on June 3, 2017.
On December 23, police commissioner Holomo Molibeli wrote a letter to Thabane informing him that his mobile number had been picked to have communicated with one of the assailants at the scene of the murder of Lipolelo.
The letter asked Thabane, 80, to furnish police with information that could help them with the name and whereabouts of that particular person and what their conversation was about.
However the prime minister then attempted to remove Molibeli from office. Molibeli took the matter to court and was granted relief to stay in office until its finalisation next month.
Last week in another twist in the dramatic case, police called some high ranking officials for questioning as part of investigations. The officials include the minister of water affairs Samonyane Ntsekele, who is also former secretary general of Thabane’s All Basotho Convention party, the government Secretary Moahloli Mphaka and the leader of Basotho National Party chief Thesele Maseribane.
Maseribane is in a coalition partnership with Thabane's party. Another coalition leader who is also the deputy prime minister, Monyane Moleleki is also lined up to appear before the police on Friday.
Thabane has also been called and is due to appear before the police on Wednesday. Thabane who has come under severe political pressure has said he will be stepping down as prime minister but has committed to no time frame.