Africa-Press – Lesotho. MALEFETSANE Nchaka, a former Water Ministry principal secretary, has been dragged to court to answer charges of fraud and theft of government funds. Nchaka and two others, Leboelo Molefe and Lebohang Tumahole, are accused of abusing government vehicles to fund their political party’s campaign in the run-up to last year’s elections.
They are accused of abusing government vehicles and fuel to canvas for votes in last October’s general elections. The fuel bill amounted to a staggering M300 000, according to court papers.
The trio were granted free bail this week with Magistrate Ntelane saying money would not prevent anyone from running away if they so choose. She said bail does not serve as a sentence.
Instead, she said, one must appear in court to face charges. They are expected to return to court on Monday to answer charges levelled against them. All of the accused are members of the All Basotho Convention (ABC), the former ruling party which lost power to the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) last year.
The court heard that Nchaka requested vehicles from the Ministry of Finance through the Government Secretary saying there was a shortage of vehicles to be used in the removal of shrubs in the highlands.
The removal of certain invasive shrubs in the highlands and foothills of the country was part of the preservation of rangelands, a policy implemented by former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane. The court heard that the cars were not used for the intended purpose for which they were purchased.
The court further heard that the vehicles were subsequently requested purporting to be used by the then Water Minister Samonyane Ntsekele, and his deputy Mankoe Maime, while their official ones were allegedly being serviced.
By doing so, the court heard, Nchaka violated the Penal Code Act of 2010 and committed fraud. The court papers say that Nchaka had illegally obtained fuel worth about M300 000 from Engen garage while using government vehicles that he was not legally authorised to drive and fuel at the government’s expense.
Further, the court said Nchaka and his co-accused conspired between June and July 2022 at or near Maseru Engen Garage. The crime of theft was committed by the three, the court papers say.
Ntelane said the cases must be responded to and finished promptly. Nchaka is the first government official to be dragged to the criminal court over the use of government property to help campaign for his party.
This has been the trend since 2002, the first to complain about it being Advocate Kelebone Maope who was then leader of the opposition Lesotho People’s Congress (LPC).
At the time he was accusing the Pakalitha Mosisili-led government of abusing government vehicles to transport his Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) members to his rallies.
In 2007 Maope and Thabane, who had by then founded the ABC after defecting from the LCD, and the late Major General Matsing Lekhanya who led the Basotho National Party (BNP), complained of the same behaviour by officials in the Mosisili government.
In 2015, there were complaints that the ABC, BNP and LCD government officials were still doing the same thing. Two years later in 2017 the same complaint was raised. This has been the trend in all elections for the past 20 years and not even a single official was charged with any crime. Nchaka is the first.
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