Seabata Mahao
Mareitumetse Lintle Heele, 24, from Lithabaneng in the Maseru district was remanded in custody for orchestrating the murder of her husband Police Constable Lemohang Heele, 26, for insurance pay-outs.
Police reports indicate that, ‘Mareitumetse had begun murmuring about her husband to her lover, one Pule Chaka, 36, a notorious criminal suspect and fugitive from law also known by the names of Phatha-Phata, Return, Morena and Ma-Black, thus suggesting that if he were to die she would receive handsome funeral cover insurance payouts since she had been enlisted as her husband’s beneficiary.
According to Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, ‘Mareitumetse acting in concert with her lover shot and murdered her husband on August 8, 2021.
He said that on October 7, 2021 Chaka was arrested by the police along with his 9mm with one round of ammunition, and two days later ‘Mareitumetse was also arrested.
The duo appeared before the Maseru Magistrate court on charges of murdering a police officer, they are awaiting trial in custody and will both appear again in court on October 22, 2021. The first accused, Chaka, is said to have been on the run from the law for a number of robbery cases for which he had not been attending court remands to which an arrest warrant had already been issued. He is yet to appear again and answer to these charges also.
Meanwhile, in other news, Mopeli noted that, three suspects had been arrested by the police in relation to stock theft last week after the police received nine cases of stock theft. He further said that, two suspects have already appeared before court while seven are waiting to appear before the magistrate once investigations against them have been completed.
The animals stolen are 3 cows, 29 sheep and 2 horses however the police have recovered 44 cows, 16 horses, 31 sheep and 2 goats. Out of the numbers of animals recovered by the police, Mopeli mentioned that 8 cows were stolen in Republic of South Africa then recovered in Lesotho and 24 sheep were stolen in Lesotho but recovered in Republic of South Africa.
