Relebohile Makhetha
The high-stakes trial involving allegations of fraud, corruption, and money laundering at the LesothoPost Bank continued in the Maseru Magistrate Court yesterday but was postponed to Thursday next week.
The prosecution, led by advocates Peleha Joala and Pone Tšeisa from the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO), faces a formidable defence team comprising Advocates Phafane Salemane, Rethabile Setlojane, and Lintle Tuke.
This trial has already been marred by procedural disputes and accusations of undue delays, with significant implications for the integrity of the case.
At the outset of proceedings yesterday, Advocate Setlojane raised an objection, revealing that a letter had been sent to the DCEO on September 30, requesting access to the docket.
Setlojoane indicated that despite receiving an acknowledgement of the request on October 1, the DCEO failed to provide the necessary documentation or offer an explanation for its non-disclosure.
He stressed that the accused have a constitutional right to access the docket, but he consented to the trial proceeding under protest.
As the trial unfolded, the prosecution’s witness, Detective Sergeant Pita, took the stand.
However, the defence quickly launched a forceful objection, with Advocate Phafane questioning the DCEO’s competence in managing the case. Phafane raised concerns that the manner in which the prosecution was presenting evidence amounted to a “trial within a trial” – a situation he said could severely undermine the strength of the case.
He warned that, if this approach continued, the trial could drag on for years, given that each of the 15 accused individuals might require separate hearings.
Phafane further indicated that the defence would be compelled to present its own evidence, including a medical report detailing the alleged mistreatment of the accused during their detention.
Setlojane formally requested that the court compel the DCEO to provide witness statements and confessions within five working days.
The court adjourned the proceedings, now set to resume on Thursday, November 21. This trial has already captured significant attention.
The accused are charged with orchestrating a massive scheme that allegedly defrauded the government and the Lesotho Post Bank to the tune of M10,582,995 and M3,235,500, respectively.
The accused, ‘Mathabo Tshehlo, Molefi Leqhaoe, ‘Mamohau Mapota, ‘Malerato Tlalinyana, ‘Maletsabisa Seboka, ‘Mamorena Matsoso, Thabo Tshehlo, ‘Mampho Molefi, Jota Hlaabana, Ntsebo Thamae, Khethang Makhetha, Keneuoe Mochekoane, Sekhonyana Mapota, Tjoetsane Seoka, and Folojeng Folojeng, are accused of a scheme that allowed them to bypass eligibility requirements for government fleet service contracts, enriching themselves and their families at the expense of public funds.
The scandal allegedly began in 2021, with the accused conspiring with officials from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to secure government contracts for their relatives.
This alleged corruption, involving the provision of vehicle loans under the Basotho Fleet Scheme, violated Lesotho Post Bank’s policy prohibiting such loans for employees or their families. The loans approved for relatives of the accused ranged from M432,000 to M580,000, all in clear contravention of established rules.
Further allegations suggest that the accused worked in concert with Ministry of Finance official Folojeng Folojeng, facilitating the approval of these alleged corrupt contracts.
Folojeng and co-conspirator Tjoetsane Seoka are also implicated in a scheme where vehicles owned by associates of bank executives were leased to the government, with the state paying between M19,702 and M21,623 per vehicle each month.
This arrangement reportedly caused a financial loss of over M10 million until the arrests of Folojeng and Seoka.
Despite the gravity of these charges, all of the accused are currently out on bail.
