DCEO wants to know who deposited M446 000 into deputy premier’s Standard Lesotho Bank and Nedbank Lesotho accounts between April 2013 and January 2014
Tefo Tefo
The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) has asked Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing to explain the source of funds which were deposited into his Standard Lesotho Bank and Nedbank Lesotho accounts between April 2013 and January 2014.
According to correspondence between the anti-graft body and Mr Metsing dated 9 July 2014, the request is part of investigations “involving the Ministry of Local Government and Senior Government Officilals in Lesotho”.
In addition to being deputy premier, Mr Metsing is also the Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship Affairs, and leads the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), which formed a coalition government with the All Basotho Convention (ABC) and Basotho National Party (BNP) in June 2012.
According to a letter written by DCEO Director General, Advocate Borotho Matsoso to Mr Metsing, the directorate would like to know the source of M446 000, which was deposited in the two accounts over the nine months in question
The letter, titled, “Request for Information Relating to the Deposit of Monies into Your Standard Lesotho Bank Account and Ned Bank Lesotho,’ reads: “The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) is conducting an investigation under the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act No 5 of 1999, as amended by Act No 8 of 2006, involving the Ministry of Local Government and Senior Government Officials in Lesotho.
“You are hereby kindly requested, in terms of Section 9(c) of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences (Amendment) Act No 8 of 2006, to explain to the Directorate, the origin of funds deposited into your above-mentioned accounts, that is, to provide the office with information relating to the source of funds deposited into your accounts as stated below:
(a) Standard Lesotho Bank Account No 0140002099601
- 20th April, 2013 – 8 000.00
- 8th June, 2013 – 50 000.00
- 20th June, 2013 – 40 000.00
- 25th June, 2013 – 30 000.00
- 26th June, 2013 – 30 000.00
- 14th December, 2013 – 30 000.00
- 18th December, 2013 – 30 000.00
- 30th December, 2013 – 20 000.00
- 8th January, 2014 – 10 000.00
- 10th January, 2014 – 40 000.00
- 17th January, 2014 – 40 000.00
(b) Nedbank Lesotho Account No 0219000018492
- 3rd May, 2013 – M18 000.00
- 10th June, 2013 – M50 000.00
- 21st June, 2013 – M50 000.00
“You are requested to respond to this letter within seven working days of the receipt of this letter.”
However, in response to the letter Mr Metsing’s lawyer, Advocate Motiea Teele (King’s Counsel) asked for an extension of time within which Mr Metsing should have “considered” the request.
Part of the letter Advocate Teele wrote to the DCEO on July 14, 2014 reads: “We act for Honourable M Metsing and after considering your request, it became apparent to us that Honourable Metsing needs more time to consider your request, considering that he had been out of the country and upon his return, he had several commitments awaiting his attention.
“In the circumstances, we ask for a period of 28 days to enable us to deal effectively with your request.”
But the DCEO boss rejected the request for the 28-day extension, and gave in a letter dated 16 July, 2014, only gave Mr Metsing until 11 August 2014, to have complied with the request.
Advocate Teele (KC) then asked the DCEO boss if Mr Metsing was being considered a suspect or not, to which Advocate Matsoso said he could not give a direct answer.
This response prompted the urgent application Mr Metsing filed in the Constitutional Court on Monday this week, where he wanted the court to declare the DCEO’s access into his banking accounts a violation of his privacy.
