OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 10.15am
THE Lesotho government has charged the head of a major water project with taking more than R2-million in bribes from foreign companies.
The companies allegedly involved include Dumez International of France, Acres International of Canada, Impregilio of Italy, Swedish-Swiss ABB, and the Highlands Water Venture consortium, which includes Germany’s Hochtief, Business Day reports.
Masupha Sole, a civil engineer who was appointed chief executive officer of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project in 1986, appeared in a Maseru Court on Tuesday on 14 charges of fraud and bribery.
The government is alleging that he channeled money to bank accounts in Geneva, Zurich and South Africa. According to the charge sheet he accepted bribes over a 10-year period — from February 1988 to December 1998 — from contractors working on the water project, which brings water from Lesotho to South Africa’s northern Gauteng province.
It alleges that he took bribes worth $250000 from Impregilio and pay-offs totalling $222000 from Dumez International and fellow French companies Spie Batignoles and Sogreah.
A source involved in the investigation told Business Day Sole is suspected of demanding bribes in return for securing contracts for companies. Sole was dismissed from his position in 1995 but the Lesotho government claims he continued to accept bribes after that.
In a joint statement issued Wednesday the Lesotho and South African authorities responsible for the water project welcomed the decision to press charges against him. The case has been postponed until August 31. –AFP