LEC employee fleeces them off over M70 000
Matšeliso Sehloho and Mohloai Mpesi
The Lesotho Electricity Company Credit Control Clerk employee Mapuleng Montši (49) was yesterday dragged to court for bribery and corruption counts.
According to the court order released yesterday at the Magistrate court, the accused embezzled a lucrative M70, 155.00 by impersonating herself as employee of the Ministry of Home Affairs and promised people employment and producing fact contractual agreement at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Montši who was released on bail of M2000 by Magistrate Thamae is said to have charged each person promised a job, M1 500 which accumulated to M70, 155.00 in 2017 as a gesture of appreciation. The court order revealed that the suspect received the money in her Vodacom M-Pesa account of 578810908 and in to one Motsoane Motebang’s Vodacom M-Pesa account of 58881333.
“Whereas engagement of contractual employees in any Ministry in the government of Lesotho Public Services is governed by section 7 of Public service number Act No. 1 of 2005 and the relevant Regulations thereto.
“Whereas bribery in securing employment by the government of Lesotho is prohibited by section 26 of prevention of corruption, and economic offences Act No. 5 of 1999 as amended by 17 of prevention of corruption and economic offenses (Amendment) Act No 8 of 2006
“At all material relevant and material times hereto accused, Mapuleng Montši, was employed in the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) as a credit Control Clerk in Maseru Lesotho,†the order reads.
The court papers continued that, “Whereas all material times hereto accused was not designated or assigned to officially and personally be involved in and/ or assigned to officially and/or personally be involved in and / or possess any influence in the engagement and /or approval of applications for work by the Ministry of Home affairs Lesotho.
“At all relevant times the accused unlawfully received and kept in her possession or in the possession of Motebang Motsoane monies from people employed in the Ministry of Home Affairs on contractual basis cumulatively M70, 155.00,†the order read.
The order added that, “The accused is guilty of contravening of section 26(1), read with sections 32 and 34 of the prevention of corruption and economic offences Act No. 5 of 1999, as amended by Act No.8 of 2006.
“In that upon or about the dates unknown by the prosecutor but during the period of October 2017 and April 2018 and at the places whose exact location is unknown to the prosecutor but in Lesotho, the said accused did commit offense of corruption by directly or indirectly accepting or agreeing to accept or offered to accept for herself or for any other person a benefit as an inducement or reward for of otherwise on account of her giving assistance or using on, or having given assistance or used influence in, promoting , administering, executing, or procuring a contract with a public body, to wit, by deliberately demanding and accepting a bribe of M1500.00 monthly from each individual she helped secure employment with the Ministry of Home Affairs of Lesotho.
“Whereas the accused knew that she was not designated and or delegated to officially and or personally be involved in or possess any influence in the arrangement and employment or the approval of the application for work by the Ministry of home affairs Lesotho.
“Securing the employment contract in the public services is not supposed to be paid for by the employees under the public services act of 2005.
“As a result of the above, she was not entitled to demand, accept and keep for her benefits the monthly payments of M1500.00 as a thank you from the employees,†the order said.
“The accused is are guilty of contravening section 25 of money laundering and proceeds of crime act 2008 act No. 4 of 2008 as amended by the money laundering and proceeds of crime.
“In that during the dates unknown to the prosecutor but doing the period of October 2017 to April 2018 in and at places, the exact location unknown to the prosecutor but in Lesotho, the said accused did unlawfully and intentionally acquired and or possessed and or used property, to wit, seventy thousand, one hundred and fifty five (M70, 155.00), knowingly or having reason to suspect that such is delivered directly from acts of omissions which constitute serious offence to wit corruption.
“Now therefore, the accused is guilty of contravening section 25 (a) (i) read with section 25 (4) of the money laundering and proceeds of Crime Act, 2008 (Act No. 4 of 2008), as amended by the money laundering and proceeds of Crime (amendment) Act, 2016 act No. 7 of 2016,†the order said.
