Minister of Law and Justice Honourable Richard Ramoeletsi said the ministry is already implementing recommendations made by the Commission of Inquiry into the escape of inmates, therefore it was not necessary to table the Ombudsman’s report before the National Assembly.
Honourable Ramoeletsi made the remarks in the House after Mokhethoaneng Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Chair of Chairs, Mr. Mokhothu Makhalanyane, raised a point of order requesting clarification on why the Ombudsman’s report on the escape of inmates had not yet been presented before Parliament.
The Minister explained that the Ombudsman’s report served as a baseline that led to the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry chaired by Justice Realeboha Mathaba.
He added that some of the recommendations currently being implemented were drawn from the Ombudsman’s findings.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Tlohang Sekhamane stressed the importance of reports produced through government funding, saying Parliament has an oversight responsibility and therefore requires regular access to information.
Mr. Sekhamane said he would study the matter further, noting that the report should not be treated as a secret document.
The Mathaba Commission was established in 2024 following the escape of inmates from the Maseru Central Correctional Institution in December 2023.
The Commission was tasked with examination and evaluation of security measures within the Lesotho Correctional Service, investigating the operations undertaken by LCS staff after the escape, and to determine the circumstances that led to the use of force during search operations conducted at MCCI following the incident.
Source: Lesotho News Agency [LENA]
