Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Lesotho Mounted Police Service has urged members of the public to voluntarily surrender unlicensed firearms and ammunition, assuring them that those who do so will not face prosecution, as part of efforts to curb crime and enhance public safety.
This call follows a ruling by the Thaba-Tseka Magistrate’s Court in which Nare Sekonyela aged 44 of Ha-Khaulisa, Likomeng in Thaba-Tseka was convicted of unlawful possession of ammunition.
Sekonyela was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment or a fine of M8,000.00, which he failed to pay.
According to Detective Police Constable (D/P/C) Itumeleng Molelle from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Thaba-Tseka, police received a tip-off on December,28 that Sekonyela was in possession of a firearm. Acting on the information the following day, December,29 police conducted follow-up operations and found the accused in possession of two (2) rounds of ammunition without a valid permit.
D/P/C Molelle said Sekonyela explained that he had returned the firearm to the person from whom he had bought it, claiming it was incompatible with the ammunition found in his possession.
Sekonyela was arrested on December 29th and appeared before court the following day.
Meanwhile, Detective Sub-Inspector Sechaba Letima reiterated the police’s appeal to the public to cooperate by voluntarily surrendering illegal firearms.
He emphasized that those who hand in such weapons will not be charged and encouraged citizens to follow proper legal procedures to acquire licensed firearms in accordance with the law.
