Mohloai Mpesi
In a striking turn of events, young entrepreneur Pitso Ntsukunyane, famously known as “Bikerboyâ€, finds himself back in the legal spotlight, this time facing fresh fraud charges at the Maseru Magistrate court.
The 27-year-old, already under the shadow of a recent arraignment, now faces additional legal troubles with the Directorate for Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO).
The charges against Ntsukunyane reveal that he allegedly provided false information to the Ministry of Water, a misrepresentation that ultimately secured him a tender valued at M1,393,993.20.
The tender was meant for the rehabilitation of gravity and solar water systems at Ha Monyake, Kholokoe, situated within the Mafeteng district.
The charge sheet contends that the Ministry of Water issued a Request for Quotations (RFQ) as part of the tender application process. This RFQ clearly stipulated that bidding companies needed to possess relevant expertise and experience to be eligible for tender consideration.
This wave of adversity follows an initial arraignment that occurred just a fortnight ago, where Ntsukunyane was jointly charged with Lefu Manyokole (59), the former Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship, as well as Makhotso Mahosi (46), the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Disaster Management Authority (DMA).
The charges laid against the trio encompassed both corruption and fraud allegations, marking a significant legal entanglement.
Returning to the dock this week, Bikerboy once again found himself in the legal crosshairs, this time facing accusations of fraud from the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO).
The proceedings took place before Chief Magistrate ‘Matankiso Nthunya, who granted bail to Ntsukunyane in the amount of M10,000.
In a striking deviation from the required qualifications, Bikerboy allegedly chose to provide misleading information regarding his company’s experience and expertise.
The charge sheet specifies the alleged actions: “Upon or about March 30, 2023, at or near Ministry of Water in Maseru, the said accused did make a false representation or concealed from another a fact which in the circumstances he had a duty to reveal with the intention that such a person should act upon the said representation to his or her detriment.â€
he allegedly provided false information to the Ministry of Water, a misrepresentation that ultimately secured him a tender valued at M1,393,993.20.
The charge sheet goes on to elucidate that Bikerboy represented to the Ministry of Water that LL Construction possessed the necessary expertise for the rehabilitation of gravity and solar water systems at the designated location.
However, it is claimed that at the time of making this representation, Ntsukunyane knew or ought to have known that LL Construction did not hold the requisite experience in the specified field.
This alleged misrepresentation resulted in LL Construction being awarded the tender, ultimately causing the Government of Lesotho to suffer a financial loss to the tune of M1,393,993.20.
The charge sheet concludes that these actions on the part of the accused constitute the offense of fraud.
