Poverty Reduction Programme (PREP) Director, Topollo Lephatšoe
Lekhetho Ntsukunyane
The Prime Minister’s Office has suspended its Poverty Reduction Programme (PREP) Director, Topollo Lephatšoe, pending investigations over suspected “serious acts of massive financial irregularities and mismanagement.”
According to a letter of his suspension dated 19 June 2015, and endorsed by Principal Secretary (PS) Cabinet – Economic Affairs, ’Mataeli Makhele-Sekhantšo, Mr Lephatšoe was suspended with immediate effect, on full pay.
Ms Makhele-Sekhantšo noted in the letter that she had been receiving “reliable reports and veritable information” about Mr Lephatšoe’s alleged “serious acts of massive financial irregularities and mismanagement; in some instances even possibly bordering on criminality.”
According to the PS’ suspension letter, it appeared public funds under the control and management of Mr Lephatšoe were used “at one time or another, to serve as a means of grant or loans to certain individuals; and you would agree that if this occurred, it was a serious breach of financial probity and discipline.”
Ms Makhele-Sekhantšo further indicated she had been given the names of the people who allegedly received the loans adding, “but I protect the identity of the individuals concerned until the completion of urgent impending investigations which are shortly to be launched into the matter”.
The PS also expressed concern that there were “low-ranking individual officers in your department who, for some reason or another, earn salaries as high as M21 000 per month. By any standards, this is a high salary in a country struggling with meager financial resources, unless there is justification for them to earn as high as that”.
A salary of that scale, according to Ms Makhele-Sekhantšo, “would ordinarily attach to fairly senior management positions within the public service, but in this case, as I say, it would seem very junior individuals or officers have been enjoying salaries at that high scale”.
The letter continues: “At this stage though, you will appreciate that all these are but just allegations and suspicions. Nothing is conclusive as yet until thorough investigations in the matter would have been done. Still, the allegations are of a serious nature and need to be investigated.
“Thus, there is definite need to clear the air by further and speedy investigations of a forensic or similar nature, if need be, which on the presently available information and reports could possibly lead to disciplinary action.
“It is self-evident that on the other hand, if the allegations against you were eventually to turn out to be unfounded, that would be good for your name and integrity. However, should they prove to hold water, it will be sad for you and the public service, given otherwise the important role your office is supposed to play in the lives of ordinary Basotho.
“In all the circumstances, I wish to inform you that it will certainly not serve the public interest of Lesotho that while such urgent investigations are continuing, you, on the other hand, should be in office. It would make a mockery of them. They will need to be conducted smoothly, unimpeded and unhindered, but very urgently.
“Thus, your presence in office during this time would be undesirable, as it could possibly hamper the same, and I hope you will readily appreciate this yourself. For example, merely out of natural human instinct, temptation could possibly creep in for you to try and interfere with files and corrupt the available information, which otherwise would have established wrongdoing on your part.”
“…It was always going to be unrealistic and undesirable that you be given an opportunity to make representations before the decision to suspend you from office has been taken. The obvious fear is that if that were to be done it would compromise the integrity of the intended urgent investigations in the matter. In fact, it would defeat the very purpose of what essentially is a-surprise basis kind of investigations, quick and snappy in nature.”
However, Mr Lephatšoe was given 14 days, which means until tomorrow, to show cause why the suspension should not be implemented.
“Should you wish to make representations, please do so in writing and submit them to me, for my consideration…”
Meanwhile, Lephatšoe was also requested to surrender all office equipment, “including office keys and vehicles that you were using, to the writer hereof.”
During the time of the suspension, Mr Lephatšoe has further been barred from “entering the work premises unless you have been called. You will further be required to be available at all times during your suspension, and you will be expected to cooperate fully with the investigations.”
Efforts to get Mr Lephatšoe’s comment were fruitless, but PS Cabinet – Administration, Mothabathe Hlalele, confirmed the suspension.
Mr Hlalele said: “I can confirm that Mr Lephatšoe was suspended, but won’t go into details as I am not the one dealing with the case.”
On the other hand, Ms Makhele-Sekhantšo could also not be reached as Mr Hlalele indicated she was out of the country.
