The Lesotho Mounted Police Service’s (LMPS) Fire Brigade Senior officer, Superintendent Muso Lehlokoa, briefly appeared before the Maseru Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday this week, facing corruption and money laundering charges brought by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO).
The 51-year-old officer, of Seforong in Quthing, is alleged to have conducted unauthorised firefighting skills training sessions and pocketed fees amounting to M56,000, according to the DCEO.
Supt Lehlokoa is stationed at the LMPS Fire Brigade under the Special Operations Unit (SOU) in Maseru. The DCEO alleges that between March 2017 and July 2021, he used his position and LMPS resources to conduct firefighting skills training without obtaining the required authorisation from his superiors.
According to the DCEO, Lehlokoa is an extensively trained firefighter who had been instructed by his superiors to conduct firefighting skills training courses for various sectors of society.
However, the prosecution alleges that he knew he was required to obtain prior approval before conducting the training sessions.
“He was also not permitted to charge trainees personally, and any payments accrued from the training were supposed to be deposited into the LMPS bank account rather than his personal account,” the DCEO submitted before the court.
The DCEO alleges that Lehlokoa instead received payments personally, resulting in the corruption and money laundering charges against him.
Lehlokoa was released on bail of M3,000.
The matter has been postponed to September 7, 2026, for set down.
Magistrate Puseletso McPherson is presiding over the matter.
Summary
- The 51-year-old officer, of Seforong in Quthing, is alleged to have conducted unauthorised firefighting skills training sessions and pocketed fees amounting to M56,000, according to the DCEO.
- The DCEO alleges that between March 2017 and July 2021, he used his position and LMPS resources to conduct firefighting skills training without obtaining the required authorisation from his superiors.
- “He was also not permitted to charge trainees personally, and any payments accrued from the training were supposed to be deposited into the LMPS bank account rather than his personal account,” the DCEO submitted before the court.
I am a journalist based in Maseru, Lesotho, renowned for investigative reporting. Over the years, my work has been published both locally and internationally, including in South Africa through the Amabhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Daily Maverick, among other publications.
In Lesotho, I have served as a senior reporter for several leading weekly newspapers, including the Lesotho Times, Public Eye, and Sunday Express. My reporting has focused on uncovering issues of public interest, promoting accountability, and giving voice to underreported stories.
In 2016, I co-founded the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism in Maseru, an initiative dedicated to strengthening investigative journalism and fostering a culture of transparency and public-interest reporting in Lesotho.
