Mohloai Mpesi
THE Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) says it is still pursuing the fertiliser fraud case against Peka constituency legislator, Mohopoli Monokoane, despite reports that it has dropped the case.
Mr Monokoane had celebrated with his supporters on Tuesday, declaring that he was a free man as the DCEO would not be charging him. But the antigraft body has since contradicted his claims.
The DCEO spokesperson, ‘Matlhohonolofatso Senoko, told the Lesotho Times yesterday that the DCEO was still investigating the matter.
“The matter regarding Mr Monokoane is still under investigation,” Ms Senoko briefly said.
It had been anticipated that Mr Monokoane would be brought before the Maseru Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning to face charges of fertiliser fraud and theft.
The expectation arose after the DCEO called Mr Monokoane on Monday, instructing him to report to its Maseru offices.
Anticipating he would be formally charged, Mr Monokoane and the former Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Moshe Masaase, who is also alleged to be involved in the case, sought the intervention of the Minister of Law and Justice, Richard Ramoeletsi.
Both Mr Monokoane and Mr Masaase were summoned to Mr Ramoeletsi’s office, along with the DCEO Director General, Knorx Molelle.
According to Mr Ramoeletsi, he arranged this meeting so that Mr Monokoane and Mr Masaase could express their grievances about the DCEO’s conduct.
“Mr Monokoane and Mr Masaase were summoned by the DCEO, which required them to clarify their role and address suspicions surrounding the procurement of fertilisers,” Mr Ramoeletsi said.
“They requested my assistance in arranging a meeting with the DCEO so that they could directly clarify the matter. Mr Molelle came to my office, and together they went to the DCEO offices, where both Mr Monokoane and Mr Masaase provided their statements to the officers investigating the fertiliser case.”
The minister explained that he did not participate in the subsequent discussions between the DCEO and the two individuals regarding the alleged fraud and that he did not exert any influence over the DCEO’s decisions related to possible prosecution.
“My role was simply to facilitate their request for a meeting with the DCEO so they could explain their stance. I made no recommendations to the DCEO regarding whether they should prosecute or not prosecute. There have been false claims that I instructed the DCEO not to prosecute them, but I made no such statement, nor do I have the authority to dictate DCEO’s decisions.
“I am not interfering with the DCEO’s independence, as I did not direct them on what action to take. I merely asked that they listen to the concerns of these individuals and proceed as they see fit.”
He added, “Anyone is welcome to come to my office. I frequently receive complaints related to various cases, but I don’t instruct investigators on how to handle them. My responsibility is to ensure that prosecutors perform their duties efficiently, as this is what they are paid to do.”
Following the Tuesday meeting, Mr Monokoane proceeded to the Maseru Magistrates Court, where his supporters had gathered.
He later told the Lesotho Times that he had explained the situation to Mr Ramoeletsi and the DCEO, outlining that his company, Hippo Transport, had been contracted by a South African supplier, Kynoch, to deliver fertilisers from Durban to the Lesotho government’s storage facility in Ha Foso. Hippo Transport completed its first delivery load on October 26, 2023.
Between October 26 and December 2023, Hippo Transport completed 60 loads of fertiliser deliveries, with an additional 37 loads transported in April 2024, for which Mr Monokoane said he received payment from Kynoch.
“We executed the transport contract exceptionally well.
“It had previously been rumoured that the DCEO would charge me for fertiliser theft. Eventually, my office in Maputsoe received a call from the DCEO on Monday, informing them to tell me to report myself on Tuesday.”
He further explained that, in light of this, they sought Mr Ramoeletsi’s intervention to ensure they could clarify their side of the story.
“I explained that, as Hippo Transport, we were contracted to transport fertilisers from Durban to Lesotho. Since government storerooms are closed on weekends, we temporarily offloaded the fertilisers at our Maputsoe premises because it was raining that Saturday. However, we transported them to Ha Foso on Monday.
“Upon delivery, government officials signed to confirm that they received the expected consignment.”
Mr Monokoane stated that the DCEO had initially misunderstood the situation, assuming that the fertilisers were wrongfully stored at Hippo Transport’s premises.
“The DCEO initially suspected that Kynoch’s fertilisers had either been stolen or unlawfully stored on our premises. We have since clarified that this was not the case. They now understand that the transporter’s duty is to deliver the fertilisers intact.
“Not a single bag should be torn or missing. The product must arrive in the same condition as when it was loaded to ensure Kynoch receives payment from the government.
“The DCEO acknowledged that it may have initially misinterpreted the case and didn’t understand the details around the issue. Mr Ramoeletsi clarified the specifics of Hippo Transport’s assignment by Kynoch, which helped dispel some of the initial misunderstandings.”
Mr Monokoane said the DCEO now had a clearer understanding of Hippo Transport’s role in the contract.
