Moorosi Tsiane
MASERU Town Clerk, Molete Selete, has been charged by the Maseru Magistrates Court for “illegally paying” M14 million to a Chinese joint venture which had been engaged by Maseru City Council (MCC) to construct the Mpilo Boulevard intersection road in Maseru.
Mr Molete and two others were hauled before Magistrate Makopano Rantšo by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) for allegedly defrauding the government of M14 million between 2021 and 2023.
Mr Selete, stands accused alongside MCC Engineer, Matsoso Tikoe, the SCIGM-SMGC Joint Venture and its project manager, Kenneth Leong, a Chinese national.
According to the charge sheet Mr Selete, and Molefe Nthabane who worked as a consultant for MCC and Mr Tikoe, had “illegally authorised” advance payment of M14 million to SCIGM-SMGC Joint Venture and Mr Leong for the construction of Mpilo intersection.
Mr Nthabane was not part of the accused who appeared before Magistrate Rantšo yesterday but the prosecutor, Advocate Lebohang Motelle, said he would be joined at the next court appearance.
When Messers Molete, Nthabane and Tikoe authorised the payment, they were allegedly aware that the SCIGM-SMGC Joint Venture had not submitted a 20 percent guarantee of the total contract value of about M75 million as required.
The payment of the M14 million despite the joint venture’s failure to submit an authentic advance payment guarantee was illegal and was done fraudulently, the DCEO contends.
MCC terminated their contract with the SCIGM-SMGC Joint Venture on 30 January 2024 before the project was completed, meaning it lost the M14 million paid to the contractor without the authentic guarantee.
“The accused persons acting in concert, intentionally and unlawfully abused the functions of their offices by authorizing payment of M14 million to SCIGM-SMGC Joint Venture against the non-existent advance guarantee. They thereby committed an offence of fraud and or theft, corruption and money laundering.”
Mr Selete was represented by Adv Sello Tšabeha, Mr Tikoe by Adv Lepeli Molapo while Attorney Kuili Ndebele appeared for SCIGM-SMGC Joint Venture and Mr Leong.
Adv Molapo applied for all the accused persons to be admitted to bail. He said Messrs Selete and Tikoe should be admitted to M5000 bail deposit each while Mr Leong and SCIGM-SMGC Joint Venture should pay a combined bail deposit of M10 000.
“All the accused persons before court were cooperative with the investigators. They are here today voluntarily as they were not arrested, and are not flight risks. Mr Leong and SCIGM-SMGC Joint Venture are still active in this country.
Adv Motelle did not oppose the bail but told the court investigations were still ongoing.
“The bail is granted on conditions that accused one (Selete) and three (Tikoe) pay a bail deposit of M5000 each and an immovable property amounting to M200 000 as a surety while accused four (SCIGM-SMGC Joint Venture) and five (Leong) should pay M10 000 bail deposit and an immovable property amounting to M400 000 as surety. The accused are remanded to 15 May 2024,” ordered Magistrate Rantšo.
