Maseru – Lesotho Times editor Mohalenyane Phakela says he endured trauma and humiliation after the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) wrongfully arrested him on 29 August, accusing him of posing as one of its officers.
Phakela, who also edits the Sunday Express, was detained late that Friday after seeking documents for a story that implicated Correctional Service Commissioner Mating Nkakala in the alleged theft of three plasma televisions donated by Maseru Toyota in 2022. He was questioned for seven hours before being transferred to Maseru Central Charge Office, where he spent the night in a cold, foul-smelling cell without proper bedding.
He told reporters that despite presenting proof he used his Lesotho Times email when sourcing information, an investigator insisted he should be “taught a lesson.” His phones were confiscated, and he was released the following afternoon after refusing food offered by DCEO officers.
On 8 September, DCEO head Brigadier Mantso Sello admitted the agency had no evidence against Phakela and confirmed the case would not proceed. However, Phakela said officials never apologised, even after confirming his devices had not been tampered with. He has since abandoned the phones, claiming investigators had already accessed his data.
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the arrest, describing it as an attack on press freedom. MISA Lesotho chairperson Kananelo Boloetse criticised the agency for abusing its authority, warning that the wrongful arrest exposed journalists to intimidation and harassment.
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