Moorosi Tsiane
THE illegal solicitation of bribes from National University of Lesotho (NUL) students has come back to haunt former National Manpower Development Secretariat (NMDS) officer, Mamoletsane Sejojo.
Sixty-year-old Ms Sejojo, who is now on retirement, was this week charged by the Maseru Magistrates Court for corruption.
She appeared before Maseru Resident Magistrate Peete Molapo who slapped her with five counts of corruption.
Magistrate Molapo released Ms Sejojo on M10 000 bail and M20 000 surety.
He also ordered Ms Sejojo not to hamper police investigations, not interfere with Crown witnesses, attend remands and stand trial to finality.
She was further ordered to reappear before the same court on 19 December 2023.
The woman from Ha-Mabote in Berea is alleged to have solicited bribes from several NUL students in exchange for her securing NMDS scholarships for them to study at the university. She allegedly committed these crimes between 2020 and 2022.
“……Between April and May 2021…the said accused did unlawfully and intentionally commit the offence of corruption … The said accused person received M10 000 from one Nthatisi Futho for her benefit and in order that the said Nthatisi secures sponsorship to study in NUL. As a result, NMDS lost M46 060 in toto, in the 2020/21 academic year,” reads the charge sheet.
Ms Sejojo was further charged with taking a M20 000 bribe from the same Ms Futho for her to further her studies at the NUL for the academic year 2021/2022 and 2022/2023.
She renewed Ms Futho’s bursary contract between September and October 2021 after the student paid her M10 000, defrauding the NMDS of M46 060 for the academic year 2021/2022 through that act of graft.
Again, she allegedly demanded another M10 000 from Ms Futho to renew her contract for the academic year 2022/2023, thus prejudicing the NMDS M20 830.
In total, Ms Sejojo received a M30 000 bribe from Ms Futho.
According to the chargesheet, Ms Sejojo proceeded to solicit bribes from other NUL students. She has also been charged for receiving M10 000 from Mantisa Mphoma Makaoane and M2100 from one Themba Mapepeng. In these two incidents the NMDS lost M92 120.
