Mohloai Mpesi
A former Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) employee accused of masterminding an M81.7 million fraud scheme against the power utility, Tlotliso Bereng (50), is expected to appear before the Maseru Magistrates’ Court again today to face additional charges.
Bereng, who was first charged on 13 May 2026 in connection with part of the alleged M81.7 million fraud, will this time face charges relating to the alleged theft of a further M122 350 from LEC between 2015 and 2025.
Last month, the former LEC Sales Agent Officer appeared in court alongside Nthabiseng Sofe (59), Mapota Letlela (30), Malethosa Ramothello and Muso Mosa (41), accused of jointly defrauding LEC of M26 168 198.96.
The M26.1 million and the additional M122 350 form part of LEC’s broader investigation into the alleged theft of M81 687 296.61, which authorities claim Bereng orchestrated. He faces charges of aggravated theft and fraud.
In the latest case, Bereng is accused of conspiring with a Mafeteng-based company, Five Star Temo, to unlawfully obtain electricity units worth M122 350 from LEC.
Unlike the previous case, Bereng will be charged alone after the owner of Five Star Temo allegedly agreed to cooperate with investigators and was subsequently turned into a State witness.
A source close to the investigation said Bereng is expected to appear in court today on the additional charges.
“The money forms part of the M81 687 296.61 that was allegedly stolen through the fraudulent acquisition of electricity units without corresponding payments being made to LEC,” the source said.
“The owner of Five Star Temo cooperated with police officers stationed at LEC during the investigation and explained how the company allegedly worked with Bereng to defraud the utility. As a result, investigators decided to use him as a witness against Bereng and others.
“It is different from some of the other cases where suspects have denied involvement, resulting in them being charged alongside Bereng.”
The source further claimed that several individuals implicated in the alleged fraud had approached LEC seeking to negotiate repayment arrangements.
“Many of them want to strike deals. They are writing to LEC requesting an opportunity to repay the money they allegedly stole with Bereng so that they can avoid prosecution.
“As we speak, there is another suspect from Mapoteng at the police offices seeking to repay more than M1 million that he allegedly shared with Bereng.
“LEC stands a good chance of recovering much of its money. However, we first want to establish whether those promising repayment can fulfil their commitments before decisions are made on whether to prosecute them.
“For now, only Bereng will appear in court. There are still six other companies remaining after Five Star.
“LEC investigators intend to have completed both the criminal and civil cases before end of August,” the source said.
Contacted for comment, LEC Stakeholder Relations Manager, Makhetha Motšoari, said the utility’s primary objective was to recover all funds allegedly stolen from the company.
“Our interest as LEC is to ensure that we recover all the stolen money. People who have stolen from the company should voluntarily come forward,” Mr Motšoari said.
He added that investigators were encouraged by the level of cooperation they had received from some of the suspects.
“Police are continuing their investigations and have indicated that they intend to pursue all those involved. However, authorities have reportedly noted a growing willingness among suspects to cooperate.”
According to highly placed sources, Bereng allegedly worked with about nine sales agents and companies, illegally loading electricity units for them at the expense of LEC.
Sources familiar with the investigation claim he exploited LEC’s now-defunct postpaid electricity system to facilitate the scheme.
Under the old arrangement, sales agents were permitted to load electricity units and pay LEC later after making sales. The system was eventually abandoned around 2015 after being deemed ineffective and financially unsustainable.
“Sales agents used to access electricity directly from LEC servers and sell it without adequate monitoring of how much electricity they had taken or sold,” a source said.
“LEC would only demand payment later, after the electricity had already been sold. Some agents failed to pay, which is why the system was eventually replaced.”
The prepaid system introduced in 2015 required agents to deposit money into an LEC account before electricity could be loaded for resale.
Sources said Bereng, as a Sales Agent Officer, was responsible for loading electricity units and handling agents’ complaints.
“In the prepaid system, an agent first deposits money before electricity can be loaded. If an agent deposits M50 000, LEC loads electricity equivalent to that amount, including commission,” the source explained.
“There is a department responsible for loading electricity. Bereng worked directly with sales agents, attending to complaints and loading electricity, although he was not the only officer performing those duties.”
Investigators believe the alleged fraud began shortly after the prepaid system was introduced, with Bereng allegedly continuing to exploit the obsolete postpaid system for the benefit of selected agents.
Suspicion was reportedly raised after investigators noticed that some agents’ balances remained unchanged despite ongoing electricity sales.
Under normal circumstances, an agent’s balance decreases as electricity units are sold. However, investigators allegedly discovered that Bereng would temporarily remove certain agents from the prepaid system and transfer them into the obsolete postpaid system, enabling them to obtain electricity without making payments.
“Suppose an agent deposits M50 000 and receives electricity worth that amount. As sales continue, the balance should decrease accordingly,” the source said.
“But investigators noticed suspicious cases where balances remained unchanged while sales continued. That is what triggered the investigation.”
Investigators further allege that Bereng manipulated LEC’s “Add and Remove System”, which allows agents to be added, removed or transferred between systems.
“It was discovered that Bereng would remove certain agents from the prepaid system and temporarily move them into the defunct postpaid system, where they could obtain electricity without paying LEC,” the source alleged.
“After selling the electricity, the agents would allegedly share the proceeds with Bereng on a 50-50 basis before being re-added to the prepaid system to avoid detection.”
Mr Motšoari reiterated that LEC was determined to recover all stolen funds and urged anyone involved to come forward.
“Our priority is to recover everything that was stolen from LEC. We therefore encourage anyone who has defrauded the company to come forward so that the matter can be resolved,” he said.
“While we continue to battle vandalism of LEC infrastructure, we are also facing a major challenge of illegal electricity connections, particularly in Khubetsoana and Motimposo.
“We are appealing to anyone who is illegally connected to come forward and pay for the electricity they have unlawfully consumed. We will be inspecting all meters and, if we discover such cases ourselves, the consequences will be severe.”
