Three Lesotho nationals who were extradited from Lesotho to South Africa this week, appeared in the Bonnievale magistrate’s Court in the Western Cape for the alleged murder of a farmer in 2019.
Moeketsi Hlaudi, Koketso Ntsabisa and Thabiso Ramollo face charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, the police spokesperson said Bonnievale police attended to a crime scene at Kapteinsdrift Farm on 13 May 2019. When they arrived at the scene, they found a woman who had sustained serious injuries and a lifeless body of a 55-year-old man near a pump house. He had suffered a gunshot wound on the head.
The man was declared dead at the scene and the severely injured woman was rushed to hospital for treatment. The suspects fled the scene with two firearms and undisclosed amount of money. The day after the incident, a 29-year-old suspect was arrested.
“The investigation team went the extra mile and pursued information which resulted in indications that three person’s of interest fled the area the same night of the attack in a bid to evade arrest. An application for a warrant of arrest was approved for the imminent arrest of the three persons of interest.
“On Friday, December 6, 2019, three males aged between 25 and 26, were arrested and detained with the assistance of the Lesotho police. The arrest of the person’s of interest paved way for a marathon extradition enquiry at Mohales Hoek Magistrate’s Court in Lesotho. The process was concluded when the extradition of the suspects was finally signed off on Monday, April 25, 2022.
“On Monday, July 25, 2022, the three suspects were extradited at the Maseru border, facilitated by Interpol where the warrant of arrest was executed,” said Swartbooi.
Source: Times Live, IOL, The South African, image from Times Live: Afriforum