FOUR men who masqueraded as soldiers and beat up villagers in a fake operation to seize illegal weapons in Marakabei have been arrested. The police say the men, who were wearing balaclavas and military uniforms, raided the village in Marakabei on July 29. The villagers thought they were soldiers who were carrying out a big operation.
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The four have now been charged with stabbing, kidnapping, robbery, and aggravated robbery.
Magistrate ’Mamorojele Qoo heard that the men went from house-to-house demanding that villagers hand over illegal guns. They beat them in the process.
They also went to the chief’s homestead where they ordered him to give them his office stamp.
The chief was also beaten up, the prosecution says.
The four are Lebajoa Mpeke, 25, from Ha-Mohalenyana in Thaba-Bosiu, Molahlei Mpeke, 26, from Ha-Motšoane, Monyahane Marakabei who lives in Ha-Tsolo and Retšelisitsoe Mpeke, 44, from Ha-Mochochoko.
The incident happened last Wednesday night.
The quartet was remanded in custody and is due to re-appear in court next Tuesday for remand.
The Marakabei police commanding officer, Sub Inspector Sefefo Mathope, said they got a report that “soldiers” had raided the village and confiscated people’s properties.
Then they opened a case to investigate what really happened.
Sub Insp Mathope said their investigations uncovered that Lebajoa and Molahlei arrived at Ha-Mochochoko at 9pm in the night.
They met a man who had come to drive away cows that had been grazing in the fields.
The two Mpeke cousins frogmarched the man to the chief’s home and ordered him to wake him up.
The men, the police say, told the 73-year-old chief that they were soldiers and demanded that he hands over a gun and his office stamp.
When the chief said he did not have these, they beat him together with the man who had accompanied the suspects to his home.
They took horses from the village and made the chief and his subjects to run in front of them to a neighbouring village of Ha-Joele.
The police said the men went to several houses in Ha-Joele looking for guns.
At one home, they found a family with bales of second-hand clothes.
“They took some money and mobile phones from them,” Sub Insp Mathope said.
At Ha-Joele, the suspects ordered more men to run in front of the horses as a form of torture. The chief, who had been forced to run in front of the horses, collapsed as a result of exhaustion.
They left him behind.
Sub Insp Mathope said the villagers were told to come out of their homes since the “soldiers” were looking for guns.
When night fell, the fake soldiers asked the village men to escort them to the main road where they were eventually set free.
They then reported the matter to the police.
Majara Molupe
