LETLAKA SAYS HE DID NOT ESCORT PHAKISO MOLISE TO HOSPITAL

Prison Officer, Letlaka Letlaka, one of the senior officers in the central prison who always escorts prisoners to Queen Elizabeth II hospital, says on the day that Phakiso Molise escaped he informed one of his seniors,  one Chief Officer Ramaili that he will not be the part of the escort that will be taking prisoners to the hospital that day because he would be attending a post mortem of one of the deceased prisoners at the same hospital. Prison Officer Letlaka was giving his testimony before the Commission of Inquiry on Friday this week.

When asked by the Commission whether he appointed someone who would replace him in the escort to the hospital that day, Letlaka said that was not his responsibility but Chief Officer Ramaili was the one who had to make the replacement. He further told the Commission that he only learnt about the story of Molise's escape later that day when he got back to the Central prison.

When also testifying before the Commission, Senior Prison Officer, Martin 'Molaoa said he told Molise on the day before he escaped that the request that  Molise has made that he would like to see a doctor was accepted and he would be seeing the doctor on August 6, 2003.He pointed out that he does not know how and when 'Malefa and Khama Ntene, knew that Molise would be going to the eye clinic that day. This was the 5th proceeding of the Commission, which took place at the Lesotho High Court, and it will continue on Monday next week.

20 October 2003