…accused of stealing cannabis facility equipment in Thaba-Bosiu
–but influential MP rejects allegations, claiming he has ‘lots of money’
Moorosi Tsiane
REVOLUTION for Prosperity (RFP) legislator for Thaba-Bosiu, Isaac Joseph Malebaleba, has been accused of looting equipment valued at about US$1.1 million (M18 million) from a cannabis facility, Leavea (Pty) Ltd, which had allegedly been left in his care in the constituency.
The company’s owner, Anwar Craven, claims Mr Malebaleba not only stole his property but also blocked potential investors from accessing the business, which he says was valued at US$4.5 million (M71.5 million).
Mr Craven has since laid criminal charges against Mr Malebaleba and the latter’s alleged business associate, Omeros Demetriou – widely known as Mike – the director of Magic Dragon & Cannapharm Africa (Pty) Ltd.
In a detailed affidavit dated 27 April 2025 and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Advocate Borotho Matsoso, Mr Craven alleges a calculated plan to wrest control of the cannabis investment from him.
“The duo orchestrated a malicious scheme to defraud me, loot my facility of assets worth over US$1.07 million, and devalue my business to seize it for a fraction of its worth,” Mr Craven alleges.
According to the affidavit, Mr Malebaleba is accused of unlawfully removing specialised cannabis cultivation equipment, high-value Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems, grow lights, furniture and even beds from an on-site lodge without consent. The total value of the allegedly removed infrastructure is said to exceed M18 million.
“Mr Malebaleba abused his position as a legislator to orchestrate the stripping of the Leavea facility for his own personal gain by disposing of its assets without legal right or permission,” Mr Craven states.
The alleged promise
Mr Craven says his relationship with Mr Malebaleba and Mr Demetriou began in August 2024, when he was preparing to leave Lesotho to pursue an artificial intelligence venture in Dubai.
“In August 2024, before I left Lesotho to launch my Artificial Intelligence business in Dubai, I was involved in a disgusting fraud and crime involving fake cannabis licences, and was the victim of LEC disconnecting my business’s electricity supply illegally,” he states.
He claims the two men approached him with assurances that they could stabilise his cannabis operation.
“They offered me the chance to partner with the assurance that ‘nothing would happen’ to the facility,” he says.
According to Mr Craven, the pair claimed to have “immense political clout in Lesotho” and promised to restore electricity within days, trim and sell more than 100 kilograms of already harvested cannabis, and clear outstanding debts.
“I entrusted Isaac Joseph (Malebaleba) and Omeros Demetriou with my USD4.5 million Leavea cannabis facility, envisioning a global cannabis empire,” he says.
“I saw a future of growing 100-plus premium strains and rolling into a public company for massive returns.”
A verbal agreement was allegedly reached for a monthly payment of USD10 000 to Mr Craven. Plans were also drawn up to plant 10 000 outdoor cannabis plants, projected to yield 12 tonnes by April 2025.
“Our agreement and roadmap forward were very clear and agreed six days prior to me leaving Lesotho,” he maintains.
Facility under siege
What Mr Craven describes as a promising partnership allegedly deteriorated within weeks.
“From September 2024 to March 2025, they took control of the facility by placing their armed security at the premises.”
He claims his staff were blocked from entering the facility, prevented from trimming products for sale while prospective international investors were denied access.
“They started blocking my staff from entering the facility and trimming our product to sell, and even blocked multiple international investors from viewing my facility.”
He further alleges that employees who lived on site were threatened and left without electricity, effectively paralysing operations.
“My live-in staff were literally being starved out and blocked from even trimming our own stock by Isaac’s armed guards.”
Mr Craven also alleges that between 70 and 100 kilograms of cannabis were stolen during this period. However, he says the matter was reported to police as involving only R60 000 worth of cannabis — an amount he argues would equate to roughly four kilograms.
“Isaac told me he had reported the crime alongside my staff, who all categorically said we had between 70kg and 100kg of stock stolen. Somehow, the police report reflected only R60 000, which would represent just 4kg of product.”
In what he describes as a “very sick and very strange” episode, Mr Craven alleges that Mr Malebaleba sent him police statements relating to unrelated sexual abuse cases as proof that the cannabis theft had been formally reported.
Legal intervention
As tensions escalated, Mr Craven appointed Advocate Mosito Tšoeunyane to assume control of the facility and manage labour-related litigation.
In a letter dated 31 March 2025, Mr Craven formally instructed Mr Malebaleba to hand over control of the property to Advocate Tšoeunyane. The letter states that former employees of Leavea had instituted legal proceedings and that the Labour Court had granted an order, with a writ of execution issued and property attached at the facility for payment of outstanding employees salaries.
Mr Craven states that the company had been unable to respond or seek to set aside the orders because Mr Malebaleba had assured him he was handling the legal challenges but had produced no proof of action taken.
He states in the letter that following a meeting with Adv Tšoeunyane, he resolved that the lawyer would handle the labour litigation and take control of the facility in collaboration with Thaba-Bosiu Principal Chief Khoabane Theko, to safeguard both Mr Craven’s interests and those of international investors.
The letter further instructed that any removed property be returned and that control be handed to Adv Tšoeunyane and Chief Theko to allow potential partner access.
However, Adv Tšoeunyane was allegedly denied entry by men stationed at the premises. Mr Craven says access was only granted after a court order evicting Mr Malebaleba was obtained.
He further alleges that equipment valued at USD100 000 was removed in October 2024, and that a further USD1 million worth of infrastructure was stripped from the facility in March 2025. These, he says, include a USD250 000 (M4.5 million) diesel generator, processing equipment, cannabis plants, harvested cannabis, cultivation equipment and furniture from a six-bedroomed on-site staff lodge among others.
Mr Craven has called for police to investigate whether Mr Malebaleba used his parliamentary status to frustrate law enforcement intervention. He has also urged that the matter be referred to the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO).
Malebaleba denies allegations
Contacted for comment, Mr Malebaleba strongly denied any wrongdoing.
“I do not know Anwar; we have never even met. He was in an agreement with my business partner Mike and I do not know what they agreed on,” he said.
He confirmed that security guards were stationed at the facility but said this was in line with an agreement between Mr Craven and Mr Demetriou.
“What Mike told me was that Anwar owes him… It (equipment) was not stolen; it is still there in the store,” he said.
Mr Malebaleba further stated that police had investigated and dropped an earlier theft case.
“The police then dropped the matter saying there was no case of theft,” he said.
Dismissing the accusations as politically motivated, he added: “I am not a thief. I have a lot of money myself and I have never stolen from anyone.”
He also said the matter had previously been discussed before a parliamentary committee chaired by Mokhothu Makhalanyane, which he claims resolved to drop the issue after hearing that he was not in the wrong.
Mr Malebaleba then went on a bizarre rant, accusing the Lesotho Times of being on a “mission” to “destroy” RFP elites characters.
“It has been said that you at the Lesotho Times are on a mission to destroy RFP members, especially key members like me. This has been discussed in our caucus and WhatsApp groups where we were warned to be careful of a newspaper called Lesotho Times as it is after us,” Mr Malebaleba said.
Police confirm case
Contrary to Mr Malebaleba’s assertion that the matter had been closed, Lesotho Mounted Police Service spokesperson, Superintendent Thabo Mohai, confirmed that a case registered as RCI: 36/05/2025 remains under investigation.
“There is indeed such a case reported here at the Police Headquarters, and it is still under investigation,” Supt Mohai said.
Meanwhile, DCEO spokesperson, ‘Matlhokomelo Senoko, said the anti-corruption body had no record of the matter being reported.
“I have asked at the report centre about this issue and they say they know nothing about such a case being reported to us. Maybe it was reported to the police,” Ms Senoko said.
Multi-million lawsuit against LEC
Separately, Mr Craven has filed a case in the High Court’s Commercial Division against the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC), claiming about M6,3 billion (USD360.55 million) in damages.
He accuses LEC of negligence, statutory breaches and overbilling that allegedly crippled his medical cannabis indoor facility at Thaba-Bosiu (the same he alleges Malebaleba looted).
Mr Craven says he invested USD4.5 million in constructing the 2000 square metre indoor cannabis facility in 2021, with construction completed in July 2022. LEC approved the electrical installation in August 2022.
He argues that the cannabis operation required a zero-fluctuation power supply, but that electricity became unreliable, causing serious equipment damage and crop losses.
An expert engaged to investigate the outages allegedly found incorrectly switched phase angles and reversed electrical flow, resulting in hardware damage. Mr Craven claims the faults were not detected earlier due to alleged foul play involving a contractor and LEC officials.
He further alleges that complaints to the DCEO yielded no action and were followed by inflated electricity bills.
“Leavea experienced unlawful treatment in the form of overbilling, indifference to protests and legitimate requests for accurate billing, and increased hardware damage as a result of power cuts,” he states.
He says an LEC engineer who visited the facility on 26 June 2024 confirmed inconsistent phase angles and an electrified earth wire but failed to return to address meter readings and historical overcharging.
Mr Craven thus holds LEC liable for negligent discharge of its statutory obligations and is seeking damages including revenue losses, projected future income, listing losses, diesel costs and compensation for alleged overbilling.
Note from Editor
Contrary to Mr Malebaleba’s claims, the Lesotho Times is guided by professional journalistic ethics and reports on facts only. It has no intention nor agenda to destroy anyone as our focus is on responsible journalism. Which explains why we accorded him an opportunity to respond to allegations raised against him. And instead of using this opportunity effectively, Mr Malebaleba opts to shoot the messenger by going on an illiterate tirade against this newspaper. It is our long-held role to report on facts and to hold power to account. We have discharged this role effectively across all the governments that have existed since our launch nearly 20 years ago. It is a role we will continue discharging without fear, favour or prejudice.
