’Marafaele Mohloboli
ALL Basotho Convention leader, Thomas Thabane says Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing should be charged for alleged acts of corruption.
Two months ago, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) spokesperson ‘Matlhokomelo Senoko told this publication that they were investigating the banking details of Mr Metsing amid allegations that suspicious deposits were made into his bank accounts three years ago.
“I can only confirm that there is an ongoing investigations into his bank details,” Ms Senoko said in February, adding, they started working on the issue immediately after the Court of Appeal ruled in their favour in the court case Mr Metsing had lodged seeking to stop the investigations.
And on Sunday, Dr Thabane told an ABC campaign rally in Mohale’s Hoek
That he wanted outgoing Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili to reprimand Mr Metsing who “still has a case to answer”.
“I want Mosisili to stop treating this country’s issues as if they were issues pertaining to his personal farm,” Dr Thabane said at the rally which was held to drum up support for his party ahead of the 3 June national elections.
“I have heard that he (Dr Mosisili) has even told the Americans to go wherever they want, and I have no doubt that he has said so because he and those surrounding him have nothing to cry for.
“He should reprimand Metsing. I want Metsing’s case to proceed and be dealt with accordingly because he still has a case to answer with the DCEO. That case has still not been prosecuted and I want that case to commence as it’s still not over.
“I know because it was brought against him while he was still deputising me and I want him to be found guilty or not guilty as there is no one who is above the law in this country.”
The investigations into Mr Metsing’s bank accounts came after allegations that there had been suspicious deposits into his bank accounts after the suspicious allocation of a road tender to a company known as Big Bravo Construction Company for the construction of roads in some parts of Maseru.
Big Bravo Construction is the company that was engaged for the upgrading of Matala Phase One and Matala to Ha Leqele Bus Stop roads in 2014.
The company is alleged to have won the tender on Mr Metsing’s influence and the company left road works incomplete about two months before their contract ended in 2015.
The company was awarded the M120 million tender to upgrade the roads in what competitors said could have been a fraudulent process.
The alleged dubious deposits into Mr Metsing’s bank accounts happened at a time when Mr Metsing was Local Government minister and deputy prime minister in the tripartite coalition government led by Dr Thabane in 2014.
Turning to other issues, Dr Thabane said Lesotho could not develop if isolated from other countries and therefore his government would continually forge mutually beneficial bi-lateral and multi-lateral ties.
“Our bi-lateral relations shall be with countries which are sure to benefit Basotho community but mostly we need to cherish South Africa as it is our neighbour. No man is an island no matter how strong they may be.”
Dr Thabane also said that his government would prioritise the provision of education, job creation and food security.
“On the other hand, the SADC recommendations on the reforms of civil service, security and constitutional affairs need to be dealt with all seriousness.
“All security officers should know that they are answerable to the government of the day which has been democratically voted into power and not to any individual.”
He also appealed to all those who retired from the security agencies to instill any understanding among serving members that they were no different from other civil servants and were answerable to government.
“They should know that they also take orders from the government and they should therefore do away with the perception that they more special than others,” Dr Thabane said of the current crop of security officers.
