By Teboho Serutla
The Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) has confirmed that it has launched a full scale investigation after a convict escaped from the Butha Buthe prison and later killed.
According to Pheko Ntobane of the LCS information office, the inmate’s name is 38-year old Teboho Ramorobi. At the time of his escape he had served one year of his eight-year sentence for attempted armed robbery.
Ntobane said the inmate escaped on Monday. “When prison warders noticed that the inmate had escaped, they immediately initiated a manhunt.
“Then, on Tuesday evening, prison staff caught wind of an incident whereby the community members of Likhohlong were beating up an unknown man. Upon inquiry the prison personnel learned that the man who was being lynched was the escaped convict and was being punished after he was caught red-handed raping a woman of the same village.”
Ntobane could not confirm reports that prison warders took part in the beating of the inmate, he said police officers arrived at the scene first and handed him over to the LCS in Butha Buthe. He was then taken to hospital where he was certified dead on arrival at 9:00pm.
In conclusion, he hinted at the possibility of a commission of inquiry being set up to investigate the circumstances around the escape, not ruling out the possibility of warders being involved.
