ministers, PSs “sabotage” recovery work …
Leemisa Thuseho
THE Government Assets Search Recovery Task Team (GASERTT) has uncovered a string of controversies surrounding government property transfers and unlawful occupations, with powerful politicians and senior officials accused of shielding culprits.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this week, GASERTT reported that one of its biggest red flags involves the suspicious transfer of government site 12284-569, near Pioneer Mall, to the Islamic Lesotho Maseru Central Mosque (ILMCM).
The site was allegedly offered as compensation for ILMCM’s land (12284-486) affected by the construction of Mpilo Boulevard Road.
Formed on 20 December 2022, GASERTT was tasked with reclaiming all fraudulently acquired state assets.
Operations began in March 2023, but the latest PAC hearings expose deliberate sabotage of its effectiveness.
With reports of political interference, contradictory accounts, and unresolved occupations, the recovery of hijacked government assets remains a high-stakes battle.
According to the task team, the ILMCM’s original site measured only 2000 square metres, yet the compensation granted was a staggering 30,000 sqm. Even more questionable, the sites that ILMCM claimed had been affected were reportedly bought by government in 1998, a year before the road project began.
PAC chairperson, ‘Machabana Lemphane-Letsie, challenged the explanation, questioning how ILMCM could have acquired land in an area already earmarked for construction.
“In Lesotho, a plan for a road takes more than five years, so for MCC to transfer a government site just a year before construction, shows there is fraud here. I think the government compensated a non-existent site,” Ms Lemphane-Letsie said.
She accused the recovery team of leniency, warning them against fuelling rumours that they were being bribed.
“I am disappointed that for the past three years you are yet to write to the occupants to evacuate. I suspect something fishy here . . . do not make us believe the rumours that you are taking bribes,” she said, giving the team until 13 October to produce all documents regarding the site’s transfer.
PAC is also demanding reports on allegations that the Basotho National Party (BNP) Centre and the Matekane Group Company (MGC) headquarters in Maseru were unlawfully built on government land.
The Gan Quan headache
Another thorny case involves controversial Chinese national, Gong Gan Quan, accused of illegally occupying government house Old Plot No. 175, in Maseru West.
Although GASERTT reported in its September progress report that it had finally managed to eject Mr Gan Quan, PAC heard a different story. Testimony revealed that the Chinese businessman still had full access to the property despite the task team claiming to have seized the keys.
Mr Gan Quan, director of Chuye Construction, insists his company had a right to the site since it was subcontracted by Anhoi Construction, the Chinese firm engaged to build the new State House completed in 2019. Anhoi was supposed to vacate the premises in 2022, but Chuye Construction remained, claiming they were doing “maintenance work” at State House.
GASERTT deputy chairperson, Moepana Kopo, dismissed those claims, saying Gan Quan even demanded M2 million compensation for “developments” he claimed to have made on the site.
“At one point, he claimed to have been maintaining the State House and that was not true . . . later he admitted that they were unlawfully occupying the place but asked for time to vacate,” Mr Kopo told PAC.
But when the task team attempted to eject him, Mr Kopo said they were blocked by Prime Minister’s Office PS, ‘Mabataung Khalane, who claimed she was relaying instructions from Minister Limpho Tau.
Ms Khalane later denied stopping the eviction, insisting she only intervened because the team had allegedly arrived at the property “heavily armed”.
Ms Kopo further testified that their efforts to arrest Mr Gan Quan sparked backlash from senior officials. He alleged that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Limpho Tau and Communications Minister Nthati Moorosi intervened and ordered Mr Gan Quan’s release from police custody.
“We were even called to a meeting with Minister Tau, Minister Moorosi and PS Khalane, clearly to reprimand us. We were told to leave the Chinese man alone and drop the charges, but we made it clear to them that obstructing us will haunt them personally,” Mr Kopo said.
While Mr Kopo insisted Mr Gan Quan was eventually ejected, the Director of Administration in the Prime Minister’s Office, ‘Mapeo Matlanyane, contradicted him.
“The Chinese is still occupying the place; his properties are still in the house. Last week, my maintenance team found the Chinese still using the house. Neighbours confirmed that he arrives late and leaves early,” Ms Matlanyane told PAC.
Ms Matlanyane later said the current occupants included two officials from the Federation of National Olympic Committees (FNOC), earmarked as the next legal tenants, as well as a security guard left behind by Gan Quan.
Another disputed site
PAC also heard that House No. 564 (Plot 12292-102) at Hillsview, Maseru, allocated to Mr Faruk, a former Maseru City Council employee, remains unlawfully occupied despite his contract ending in 2022. Attempts to evict him were allegedly blocked by PS Khalane.
