Judge orders 24-hour protection for Asemie
MASERU — High Court judge Justice ’Maseforo Mahase has issued an interim order directing the military police to give Eyob Belay Asemie 24-hour protection with immediate effect.
Justice Mahase ordered that Asemie be placed in protective custody at his home in Lower Thetsane, Maliba-Matšo Street, House No-367.
At least two military police officers should be on guard at Asemie’s house day and night, says the court order.
The judge has also ordered that the Commissioner of Police, Kizito Mhlakaza, all the police under his command and Police Minister Mophato Monyake “shall not be present within a 100m radius” of Asemie’s house.
The order allows the police to approach Asemie’s home only if they are going to serve him with a criminal charge, if any, emanating from his arrest on Sunday morning.
Mhlakaza and his police have also been ordered to “prefer the purported criminal charges, if any, against the Applicant (Asemie) within seven days from the date of service of this Order”.
If the police do not charge him within seven days, the court order says “no criminal charges shall ever be brought against the Applicant on the basis of his conduct preceding the date of this Court Order, and at which time this particular order
shall ipso facto become final”.
When Asemie is served with criminal charges his military police security lapses but instead of the police arresting him and taking him to court “the members of the Military Police securing the protected place shall immediately bring the Applicant to
the court of competent jurisdiction, and at no other place that such court, to be dealt with according to the law of this land”.
The order also says Asemie should only be allowed to travel within the Maseru City and whenever he leaves his home one or more military police should accompany him.
Justice Mahase has also ordered Home Affairs Minister Joang Molapo to swear-in Asemie as a naturalised citizen of Lesotho within two weeks from yesterday.
Comment by semenekane on 16 August 2012:
Ache! Fotseke joale. Mahase e ka le uena u tla sebelisa matla a hau hampe. U so bile u re Asemie a hlapants’oe e le moahi oa Lesotho? Tloha mona.
Ke ne ke nahana hore ho ne ho lekane ha u ne u re Mapolesa a qose Asemie within 7 days. Ha hose liqoso khahlanong le ena a lokolloe
Bro Tom Asemie eo, ke nale pelaello ea hore o nale maqhama le Mahaletere. Hale sa hlokomele hantle, monna enoa o tlo le liea
Comment by Oa Qacha on 16 August 2012:
Na e be le rona re tla e fumana tlotla e joalo, he ho lahlile Lesotho mona.
Comment by maincampus on 16 August 2012:
semenekane, are you the law?? Do you know the law??
Comment by Ea ratang khotso on 16 August 2012:
ACHE I HOPE LE RONA BASOTHO RE TLA FUMANA TLHOKOMELO E TJENA HA BO ASEMIE KOANA. OA THOTHOMELLOA ASEMIE HE!ACHE E MO FUTHUMALETSE NAHA ENA EA RONA.
Comment by Tankiso on 16 August 2012:
So, this newspaper of Lesotho times is about one foreign illegal idipot called Asmie? What exactly is Lesotho times tryiong to influence with this over publication of this story. Next we will lend on all illegal Zimbabweans. Nxa
Comment by Tankiso on 16 August 2012:
At least two military police officers should be on guard at Asemie’s house day and night, says the court order.
A tlaka ka a pota Mahase. Who the hell does she think she is to such an extent that she can prescribe the type of security that Ethiopian can get? So Mahase is giving bodyguards to this bustard? Hantle Mahase enoa o entse joang? No wonder judge steyn questined her credebility!!!
Comment by LEKHOARA on 16 August 2012:
Hona joale ke zenophobia, hale sena liqoso khahlanong le Asemie, tlohellang ho sebelisa li apparatus tsa ‘muso ho mohlorisa, le hana ka citizenship which he lawfully deserves, le secha ha hae lea motsoara, hale mojoetse hore na le melaella ka eng, joale lere ree bitseng ntho ee ea lona?
Comment by Lipaputla on 16 August 2012:
Ehlile Jugde o sebelisitse matla a hae hampe because she cant just order the Minister to swear in Asemie feela a sa mo fe monyetla oa ho araba application ea liakhente.Asemie should be treated joalo ka motho e mong le e mong,hobaneng a tlamehang ho tsireletsoa hobane bophelo ba hae ha bo kotsing,o ne a tsoeroe joale ka suspect e ngoe le e ngoe.
Comment by Sebabole on 16 August 2012:
Fotseke coalition government le makhotla a lona!!!
Comment by KOENA on 16 August 2012:
1 police boss faces arrest,2 Thabane,minister clash,3 judge orders 24 hr protection for Asemie, 4 be very afraid. HAO LESOTHO TIMES,LONA BOQOLOTSI BA LONA BE FOCCUSSED ON ONE STRORY,WHICH IS ASEMIE,ASEMIE,ASEMIE,ASEMIE.Retla tlohella ho reka koranta ena.haosana litaba tse ling ntle letsa Asemie?
Comment by Asemie on 16 August 2012:
That is what you call HOUSE ARREST;Not that he is protected!
Comment by mooa khootla on 16 August 2012:
Lihele li betere hona le puso ena ea MaNasi. Ntho tse etsahalang Lesotho mona lia makatsa. Lekoere-koere le se le katoa joale,sis MaNasi.
Ke hona a tl’o etsisa Scott, ‘me ke hona le tl’o lla MaNasi..!!
Comment by Kholumolumo on 16 August 2012:
Mahase o tlameha ase ana le likamono tse ling joale…hao mothonyana oee oa bona o sebile a fuoa le military security banna!! Le feela sesole le sona sese se sebelisoa hampe ke molao….Legal ea LDF le yona ha e buwe hore na meeli ea bona na e fella kae…..senya hle Mahase!!
Comment by monatala on 16 August 2012:
viva Asemie viva. you r really a gr8 beneficiary of the current gov.
u provided free lessons tsa hore a law cn b challenged, tt we dnt v 2 sit down thre ebe sa le re lletse ka likobong. u poyo boy. I salute
Comment by mocumbi on 16 August 2012:
khele
Comment by Mantlharune on 16 August 2012:
Hantle ntle Asemie eena Basotho ba khabane o tumme kang, ke hore ua tseba re qeta letseare kaofela re ntse re lubana le taba ea motho a le mong feela oa letsoa-ntle. Lesotho Times le itlhokomele, ke bona eka le bapalla tseleng ea chelete.
Comment by Ramashalane Ntsasa on 16 August 2012:
Lesotho mona ho bile le matsolo a ntseng a shebana le lithunya le liphoofolo tsa boshulo ke maponesa le masole ba rahaka Basotho mona without search warrant ebe mali a le Ethopia lee a boima ho feta bana ba Basotho moo naheng ea rona.Keo koepere Basotho,ho thoe ke ha ho sejetsoa joale ha ho etsoa tjena!
Comment by Mojalefa on 16 August 2012:
The Law is Blind, sees no Mosotho or a Kwerekwere, Good Job Mahase. Shame on you the xenophobic rest!
Comment by BKC on 16 August 2012:
The end result of this case shall mark the future of police brutality and political haste versus the new government.
Let us watch this space!
Comment by shalabeng on 16 August 2012:
E be Mohlomphehi Moahloli o habile hokae ka litaelo tse ngata hakaale? Ke makhetlo a makae bana ba batho ba shoela lipotsong ntle le hore makhotla a molao a etse namo ee e etsoang ke Mohlomphehi Moahloli Mahase? Eo eena e be ke ea joang eo Mohlomphehi Moahloli a bileng a qetellang ka ho laela Letona ho hlapantsa Asemie e le moahi oa Lesotho ntle le ho le fa monyetla oa ho hlahloba lipampiri tsa kopo ea Asemie na li ehlile li mo lumella ho fuoa boahi ba naha ee? Hantle Mohlomphehi Moahloli o baleha eng ka ho fenekeletsa lintho tse ngata hakaale, haholo ea bojaki ba motho ea se ntseng a belaelloka litlolo tsa molao? Na e be Mohlomphehi Moahloli oa elelloa hore taelo e ea hae e siea khoao e kae ho rona ba bang mabapi le likamano tsa hae le Asemie kapa bao e bang Asemie o hokahana le bona; bao ka bomali-mabe re sa tl’o hlola re ba tseba hoba hoa hlaka hore Mohlomphehi Moahloli o leka ka tsohle tseo a nang le tsona ho pata tutulu ee? Mohlomphehi ea khabane, ‘nete ke tutulu ha e patoe. Haeba, ke re haeba hoba mohlomong ha ho bile ha ho joalo; ho na le seo u se patabg kapa u se balehisang ka taelo ena eo ‘na ke le motho feela ea tsebileng kamoo makhotla a Lesotho a sebetsang kateng litabeng tsa mofuta ona; YOU CAN RUN LE ASEMIE BUT YOU WILL NEVER HIDE. YOUR UNFORTUNATE AND UNJUST ORDERS WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU SOME DAY AND U TLA RATA E KA LEFATSE LENA LE KA AHLAMA LA U PATA, EMPA LE TLA THOLA LE RE TU! HOBA LE LONA MANYALA HA LE SA A RATA. E be u ne u le kae mehleng ea bo Mashai, le ba bang ba ileng ba fasoa joaloka mekoto empa makhotla a sitoa hore litaba tsa bona li sebetsoe joaloka ee toka e ajoe? E be u ne u le kae ha bo-Moruti Lekhoaba ba qosoa ka hore ha se Basotho ‘me ba koaloa melomo? Ruri ua ba sieo linakong tse thata hoba kannete ke bona e ka naheng eo molao o lulang ka letsohong la ea matla joaloka ena, ba joaloka uena b’a hlokoa. Kea u thoholetsa, u sebelitse. Haeba Asemie a ke se u lebohe kamor’a hore ka likhoeli-khoeli batho le makala a fapaneng a fumane a sa lokeloe ke boahi ba Lesotho, e be uena, with just a stroke of a pen, you give it to him on a platter; ache e tla ba ke nyalasi ea motho.
Comment by Setho se khabane on 16 August 2012:
Che Mahase!!!
Comment by mehlolo on 16 August 2012:
This man is to be placed in protective custody and LESOTHO TIMES publishes his residential address for ALL to see,the purpose of protective custody is to remain in a safe place until your safety can be secured. LESOTHO TIMES YOU HAVE FAILED a member of society!!!
Comment by semenekane on 17 August 2012:
@ Maincumpus
Hake molao e bile hake o tsebe feela moo ho nang le boroso-roso tabeng ea kabo ea Toka ke ea bona.
Hona joale Nthomeng Majara pele a etsa kahlolo ea hore acc e ngoe ea Mahaletere e etsoe unfrozen, hake utloi moo Lekhotla le ileng la ea etsa logo inspection ho ea ikholisa hore Lehae le joalo la Likhutsana le teng.
O mametse leshano la Phafane eo le eena a ntseng a belaelloa hore o jele mashome a sechaba.
Mahase le eena ka nqena o sebelisa matla a hae hampe. Ke ts’ehetsa boikemelo ba Makhotla a molao feela le teng bo “me”Judge le Bo Magistrate ba sebetse ka tsela e nang le ponahalletso.
‘Na ke makalletse hore e be ba bonahala ba ts’ehetsa Litloli tsa molao haholo ho feta balli empa ba pataloa ka likhafa tsa sechaba sena se llang ebile hape motho e mong a tsamaea ka Mercedes Benz ea ‘muso e turu.
Khiliki! Li Judge le Bo Magistrate baa, ke ba shebile ka leihlo le nchocho
Comment by semenekane on 17 August 2012:
@ Shalabeng
U opile Khomo lenaka ngoana-monna. I doubt the credibility of Mahase & Nthomeng Majara. Batho baa! Ba khiliki!
Comment by Setho se khabane on 17 August 2012:
Mohlomphehi Mahase,Steyn e ne re a cho!U partisan&think u shud resign!Kapa u batla Basotho ba chese melata ee joalo ka naheng tse ling?
Comment by Lobengula on 17 August 2012:
I think the learned Judge has overstepped her aouthority by ordering the Minister of Home Affairs to give this chap his citizenship. By also giving him a 24 hour military guard is questionable. If his arrest is unlawful and his residence was searched without a warrant; the Judge must make a judgement on those two issues, nothing more, nothing less. As for the Prime Minister and the Minister of police they must stop commenting on issues that will embarass them.This issue must be handled by people competent in law; say the legal representative in the police and any press release or comment from the government must be handled by the same person, not the Minister or PM as they are now speaking in different tongues.
Comment by napo on 17 August 2012:
khele joale hona ke bohlanya straight letopia lee le nahana lona ke mang moo habo rona le tsamaeang le letsetsa mapolesa hore ena a ka khona eng eng khele
Comment by kompi on 17 August 2012:
Fotsek Mahase, ke case number efe moo asemie a u kopileng hore a hlapantsoe ha u se u fana ka order? U drama Queen ele ruri, ke hopola ha u bitsa baqolotsi hore ba u capture ha u palame 4+1. U hlokisa mebuso eohle botsitso le hlabaphieo la moahloli. Initially i thought u were a victim, but I can see hore u deserve everything coming your way. O bile u fana ka directive ea hore ebe military police, not just army officers? Le matona ha ha katoe ke military police, u sesoasoi. basotho batla qetella ba tella molaoka baka la litaelo tse tauoeng tsena
Comment by mju on 17 August 2012:
Le hlanyetsa judge lona likoata. Le u tsebeletse kae molao? Tsa mo oelang matjoing koana.
Comment by x on 17 August 2012:
MONNA ENOA O BONAHALA ELE NALELI E PELA KHOELI EMPA KHOELI EO RE TLA E TSEBA HAUFINYANA. RONA RE BOLAELOA BA NKA RONA RE PAKE MAKHOTLENG KHAHLANO LE BATHO BA KOTSI HA RE TSOTELLOE EMPA MOHOHE U TSOANG ETHIOPIA U FUOA KANANA LESOTHO MOO.
Comment by x on 17 August 2012:
MONNA ENOA O BONAHALA ELE NALELI E PELA KHOELI EMPA KHOELI EO RE TLA E TSEBA HAUFINYANA. RONA RE BOLAELOA BA NKA RONA RE PAKE MAKHOTLENG KHAHLANO LE BATHO BA KOTSI HA RE TSOTELLOE EMPA MOHOFE U TSOANG ETHIOPIA U FUOA KANANA LESOTHO MOO.
Comment by semenekane on 18 August 2012:
Lehaeba re le Likoata re sa tsebe Molao, feela judgment eono ea Mahase ke noto. Ke ne ke maketse hore na ke hobaneng ha Styen a ne a na le khoao likahlolong tsa ‘Maseforo, o ne a ntse a ‘mone hore o incompetent.
Motho o lebetse hore koloi ea tsamaeang ka eona le chelete eo a e kholang ke ea ‘muso ona a bonahalang a le khahlanong le ona.
Takatso ea hae ea hore Mhlakaza a qosoe e tla iphella feela tjena hobane taelo eo ke bohlanya feela. High Phofolo tebela mosali eo a eoba Judge Ithopia koana. Xa!
Comment by Spikir on 18 August 2012:
Let courts judge:orders be respected.
Comment by Lobengula on 19 August 2012:
@ Mju, we don’t need to be lawyers to understand the interpretation of law. Do you need to be a cook to judge whether the food is well cooked; what do you have for brains, cow dung? The issue here is Assemies wrongful arrest and a search at his residence without a warrant; the judge must make a judgment on these issues but she has no authority to make orders to officials on matters that were not brought to court. @ Spikir; the judge is not law; but makes judgments on cases brought to the courts; they work within the parameters of the law and mandate. Therefore, the minister and the military can challenge her “crazy” orders legally and I am sure they will expose this incompetent judge.
Comment by mymothersaid on 19 August 2012:
“At least two military police officers should be on guard at Asemie’s house day and night, says the court order.”
Your taxes are paying for this nonsense. Did I hear that this man already has a Lesotho passport? You wonder why we struggle so much to travel abroad. Visas to UK and other countries are so hard to get because we give our passports to anybody.
Mr Monyake I hope you please make sure this man gets sent home. We have no idea what he is doing in our country, how did he pass RSA if he is a refugee?
Comment by watchdog on 20 August 2012:
@mymothersaid,I dont think you have a piece of knowlege about being a poletical refugee and law.I am not saying the goverment should leave Asemie if he is found guilty,but the gentelman was not taken to court a single day to proof this man is a criminal.Let the hands of the law does its duty then we can critisize him.@mymothersaid please read 1983 Refugee act of Lesotho to know wheather a refugee can enter to a country legally or illegally and the corresponding legal action on him.Rights and Duties of refugee too.
Comment by Lefefooane on 20 August 2012:
I think that judge Maseforo Mahase was misled. I think she does not understand her role as a judge. I have come to aconclusion that she is a confused entity within the judicia fratenity. How can a judge prescribe to another arm of state as to how that arm of state should execute its mandate? How can she say the ethiopian should be guuarded by Millitary Police? Does she even understand that the Millitary Police do not deal with civillians rather their job is to “police” the members of the army? This is disgusting of the judge. She should at the very least said that the army commander should should protect the ethiopian rather than prescribe the brigade/battallion/division/personnel that should be deployed at the Ethiopian house. I think Maseforo went way too far. I have never heard of a judge prescribing to the millitarry to ” Deploy 23 armored cars manned by 28 members of the 21st briade divission….”. Pathetic to say the least. Poor judge is misguided.
Comment by Lefefooane on 20 August 2012:
Justice Mahase has also ordered Home Affairs Minister Joang Molapo to swear-in Asemie as a naturalised citizen of Lesotho within two weeks from yesterday.
Wai, bluff bluff, poor judge. So this judge is ordering the minister to swear in an Ethiopian as a citizen of Lesotho? Only in Lesotho where a judge can issue an altimatum for a foreigner to be granted citizenship. I bet it will not happen and Maseforo will have go back to her coocoon in disgust. Ha se naha ea mantloane ena. Mosali eo o entse joang na. O reng? Ore o laela letona ho fa letopia bojaki? a ka ba a nyela. Ha se muso oa potoana ona moo ho ka etsoang bosatane and get away with it.
Comment by mymothersaid on 20 August 2012:
@watchdog, I do not think I need to read the 1983 Refugee act of Lesotho to understand that the Ethiopian man who is claiming asylum has already got Lesotho travel documents. We have lived in Lesotho with refugees from South Africa and all over Africa, they did not have Lesotho Passports, they had UNHCR documents.
I am not going to comment about his criminal act. I can only comment about the fact that he has had the documents rather too soon, which does not happen in other countries. Basotho are struggling to get passports, I hear that they now take about 3 years! Have you tried to travel abroad lately? In the old days we never used to struggle like we are doing now. UK says we are soft we give our passports to anybody. That is why I say this man must go. We need genuine refugees. Why did he not go to RSA?
Comment by watchdog on 21 August 2012:
@mymothersaid,I knew the case of this Ethiopian from the begining when one of the official from MOHAPS started fighting the Ethiopian immidiately after he joined the ministry.
Our office was involved to investigate how the Ethiopian got Lesotho passport after we recieved a letter from the very MOHAPS official who has his own Personal interest against Asemie.
Asemie came to Lesotho 2003,stayed more than 5yrs with UNHCR travel document,applied for Lesotho Citizenship following all the procedures;including (Police clerance,principal chief recomendation,Interministrial commitee recomendation,Director of immigration and The previous PS of MOHAPS recomendation),then after all the minister aproved his citizenship.What I want to say is that let us not judge b4 we know the truth.@mymothersaid,for your information Asemie has two kids who are born in Lesotho of 6yr and 4yrs of age.Asemie has 3 well known businesses here in the heart of Maseru giving job opportunity for our nation and helping his family to have a better life instead of looking for goverment assistance like most of the other refugees.That is why I said let us give Asemie a chance to prove his innocent through the court of the law.We heard a lot about How some of the Chines got Lesotho Passport b4 even coming to Lesotho,If that is true why we want to destroy Our own African brather who came from the Icon of the continent like this? Do you know that Mandela was trained in Ethiopia to fight Aparthid while he was a poletical Refugee in Ethiopia and given Ethiopian Passport to travel all over the world.Then why not for Asemie if he qualifies?
Comment by Lefefooane on 22 August 2012:
@Watchdog, u khokolotsa matlakala le lithoe. Ke bo Mandela, ke bana ba Asmine ke matlakala a mangata. That this Ethiopian is providing employment is non starter argument. It is like you are saying we should exchange our sovergnity in exchange for jobs. No ways. We need to deprt that bastard together with his jobs. We really have no business keeping an illegal immigrant simply because he has provided employment to about 5 of our people. Motho enoa ha a ee hae Ethiopia ke phetho ke tuu. Next you tell us that Mandela lived in Ethiopia. So what? That Mandela lived in Ethiopia is the business of Mandela and the Ethiopians and should be used as a basis of how we treat illegal Ethiopian immigrants. That Mandela is not our benchmark to start with. That he has two kids, he must go back home with his two kids as our constitution clearly stipulates that we do not offer citizenship to crooks. That Ethiopian is taking too much of our time hence we must either execute him or deport him to Ethiaopia. Surely he can’t live here forever.