Staff Reporter
A warrant of arrest was issued yesterday by the Maseru Magistrate Court for the leader of the opposition Basotho National Party (BNP), Machesetsa Mofomobe, in connection with charges of defeating the ends of justice.
The warrant, reportedly sought by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO), though its spokesperson, ‘Matlhokomelo Senoko, claimed to be unaware of such developments when questioned, has sparked a wave of controversy as Mofomobe last night criticised the handling of his arrest.
Mofomobe confirmed his arrest.
“Yes, I was arrested by the DCEO, but there was no need for a warrant. They could have called me, talked to me, and I would have cooperated with them,” he said.
He further defended his track record of cooperating with law enforcement, emphasising that politicians, like all Basotho citizens, must comply with the law when properly requested by authorities.
“Every politician, when wanted by police in accordance with the law, should assist the police in doing their job. Every Mosotho, when wanted by police and this being done in accordance with the law, should also assist the police,” he said.
Mofomobe’s arrest is allegedly linked to accusations that he leaked a confidential DCEO report that was later published by the Lesotho Times.
The report exposed a massive M109 million corruption scandal involving fraudulent tenders for agricultural inputs at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Nutrition.
Senior officials are accused of bypassing competitive bidding procedures to steer lucrative contracts to favoured companies, inflating payments, and pocketing kickbacks.
The leaked report implicates top officials in the Ministry of Agriculture in orchestrating the multi-million malfeasance, which occurred between 2021 and 2022.
The scheme is alleged to have involved illicit transfers continuing into 2023.
While the DCEO remains tight-lipped on the arrest, Mofomobe, however, was defiant yesterday.
“If members of the NSS [National Security Service] can arrive at my home and demand my cellphones without complying with the law, I will refuse, then go to court to challenge them and win against them,” he said.
The BNP leader insisted that the arrest was a needless show of force, reaffirming his willingness to comply with the law but only when due process is followed.
