UPDATE ON FOREIGN MINISTER'S SHOOTING INCIDENT - THE PLOT

UNCLAS MASERU 000187

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RANGOON FOR PATRICK MURPHY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM LT
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON FOREIGN MINISTER'S SHOOTING INCIDENT - THE PLOT
THICKENS

REF: A) MASERU 124 B) MASERU 089 C) MASERU 85 D) MASERU 59 E) MASERU 51


1. Foreign Minister Moleleki who is also editor-in-chief of the
ruling party newspaper Mololi, has reacted to rumors which have
surfaced regarding his enigmatic " assassination attempt." In
his weekly editorial column on March 23, Moleleki clarifies that
the woman he went to see after leaving the Lesotho Congress for
Democracy (LCD) annual party conference on January 29, 2006, the
day he was shot, was in fact his wife and not a mistress as some
members of the public have alleged. Moleleki reiterated his
conviction that he was shot by members of his own party. (Note:
Moleleki made these claims publicly on February 4 during an
interview by a private radio station MoAfrica and also in a
press statement he released on February 07). However, the
Minister of Trade, Industry and Marketing, Mpho Malie who is
also the Secretary General of the party, stated that the attack
was not politically motivated, but a criminal act by thugs.


2. Moleleki indicated that on the last night of the
afore-mentioned party conference, there were certain factions
within the LCD, which had prior knowledge of the plot to
assassinate him. He thanked God for saving his life. He claimed
he had learned that some people have been planning to kill him
for well over eight years. Moleleki added that Phakiso Molise, a
former policeman who is serving fifteen (15) years for high
treason was one of the who wanted to kill him for issues
involving a certain woman whom Moleleki claims he does not even
know.


3. Eight days after the shooting, the Deputy Prime Minister, who
is also Minister for Home Affairs and Public Safety, made a
statement in parliament, in which he assured members that the
state had sufficient resources to investigate Moleleki's
assassination attempt. However, two and half months after the
shooting, according to the local press, the police have not
announced any significant developments in their investigations.


4. An editorial on the " Moleleki Riddle " in the April 14 issue
of The Public Eye (Lesotho's largest English language newspaper)
raised more questions. The newspaper asks why police have no
suspects despite the assurance by the Deputy Prime Minister, why
they cannot confirm whether Moleleki's bodyguards had returned
fire or not, and why there were no bullet cartridges found at
the scene of the crime after several rounds of automatic rifles
were fired. The editorial alleged that Moleleki has been giving
the police few details about the incident and this has fueled
rumors that the Minister is hiding the truth. Rumors, which
have been circulating around Maseru, allege that Moleleki and
his bodyguards staged the " assassination attempt " outside his
residence after he was attacked at the home of his mistress. The
rumors further claim that Moleleki's wound was consistent with a
knife attack, not a gun shot.


5. Comment: The lack of any official statement by the government
is puzzling to the members of the public. The contradictory
statements by the Malie and Moleleki regarding the shooting
incident has excerbated the confusion. Another burning issue
which should be explained is the failure by the police to
confirm whether Moleleki's bodyguards returned fire or not. All
these have generated a lot of speculation to the extent that the
general public can see that something is fishy and wants
answers. The latest information by the police is that
investigations are continuing. There has been no observable
unrest as a result of the incident and the GOL has stated its
intent to maintain public security.

PERRY