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Belated PS suspension exposes government

by Lesotho Times
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Government this week finally suspended the embattled Ministry of Finance Principal Secretary (PS) Mosito Khethisa.

Khethisa faces serious fraud and corruption charges before the courts and his continued stay in such a powerful post was, without doubt, sending the wrong message about the coalition government’s seriousness to fight corruption at every level of society.

After being hauled before the Maseru Magistrate’s Court six months ago charged with allegedly defrauding government of M19 million, alongside his former boss Timothy Thahane and businessman Mokhethi Moshoeshoe, it boggles the mind why the PS remained in his job with such a dark cloud hanging over his head.

In addition to the court case, Khethisa has since become the subject of a damning Parliament Public Accounts Committee report. The Committee last month demanded that the PS accounts for almost M750 000 cited not to have been properly accounted for in the Auditor-General’s Report for the 2008/2009 financial year.

Of-course, Khethisa remains innocent until proven otherwise by a competent court of law, but as a government employee entrusted with such a huge responsibility of safeguarding public funds, the authorities should have moved swiftly to suspend him once he was officially charged by the Maseru Magistrate’s Court on October 24 2013.

Such a decisive move would have shown government’s commitment to eradicate corruption, which Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has since declared now to be a much bigger threat to Lesotho than the Aids pandemic.

However, after a public outcry and concern by some development partners regarding government’s apparent inaction over Khethisa, the PS has finally been sent home while his guilt or innocence is being proved through the relevant channels.

Thahane was also belatedly dismissed from cabinet over the same allegations and continuing to keep Khethisa in his post was increasingly casting doubts on whether there was political will to root out corruption, no-matter the individual involved.

Yet government should also have sent the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Principal Secretary, Lebohang Phooko on suspension as he also faces corruption charges before the courts.

Phooko is accused of contravening provisions of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act, alongside the ministry’s director of roads network and maintenance, Tikoe Matsoso.

The two gentlemen are accused of abusing their office between January and March 2012 when procuring equipment and vehicles for the ministry.

Parliament has, meanwhile, also recommended that Phooko should be suspended, albeit with benefits, until he clears himself of any wrongdoing.

But he continues to hold sway in his ministry — a development which has only managed to dent Thabane’s avowed intention to rid Lesotho of the corruption scourge.

Only when the general citizenry has absolute trust in its leadership that such declarations, which require the full participation of every stakeholder, can yield meaningful results.

And with public officials such as Phooko still safely at the helm despite facing serious allegations that undermine their professional integrity, government can never be certain of this cooperation from the public.

 

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