Lesotho PM is no-show for murder charge, ‘heads to S Africa’

MASERU, Lesotho: Lesotho premier Thomas Thabane failed to show up on Friday at a court where he was due to be charged with murdering his estranged wife, as his aide said he had gone to South Africa for medical checks.

The 80-year-old prime minister is accused of having acted “in common purpose” in the June 2017 killing of Lilopelo Thabane, 58, with whom he was embroiled in a bitter divorce She was gunned down by unknown assailants just two days before Thabane took his oath of office at a colourful ceremony in a stadium.

His current wife Maesaiah Thabane, 42, whom he married two months after Lipolelo´s death, is considered a co-conspirator and has already been charged with murder. “The PM has still not shown up,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Palesa Mokete told a news conference after the premier failed to appear at a magistrate court in Maseru. “He was supposed to come in person but we have since been informed that he has gone for a routine check up,” he added.

Thabane´s personal secretary, Thabo Thakalekoala, told AFP that the prime minister had gone to neighbouring South Africa for a “routine” medical exam. “He is not attending court, he has gone for a medical checkup in South Africa,” Thakalekoala said by phone.

Thabane left on Thursday, he said. He gave no further details and said Thabane´s return depended on medical advice.

His reported departure came the same day that police announced he was due Friday to appear before a magistrate for murder charges to be formally read out to him. Police investigations found that communication records from the day of the murder picked up his cell phone number.