Last Updated on June 11, 2020, 8:47 AM AST by Anthony Morris
A police affidavit has revealed a murder for hire scheme, where the former Prime Minister of Lesotho, Thomas Thabane and his wife, Maesaiah, had made a down payment of $24,000 to kill his estranged wife Lipolelo around three years ago.
The French News-Press (AFP) reported that Paseka Mokete, the Deputy Commissioner of Police has said that Thabane and Maesaiah wanted the death of the deceased so that Maesaiah could take the position of the First Lady.
Thabane had been in a nasty divorce with Lipolelo when she was shot and killed outside her house two days before her husband’s 2017 inauguration. The Police say that the initial attempt of killing Lipolelo had failed, but it is still unclear what happened.
Thabane had resigned under pressure last month as leader of this tiny southern African country, amid the allegations that he was impeding the police investigation.
Thabane has denied any involvement in the murder, but police say that he had physically pointed out his ex-wife’s house to Maesaiah before the ambushed shooting.
Maesaiah, who has been charged with murder, is out on bail. One of her co-conspirators is reportedly helping prosecutors. The police
the commissioner said the total payout for the murder for hire was just over $179,000.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
