The Lesotho government has established an anti-corruption unit to root out fraud, bribery and malpractices among public officials, Home Affairs Minister Tom Thabane said on Wednesday.
Thabane said it was hoped the unit would curb the theft of much-needed funds from the public service by ”unscrupulous officials”.
”We are taking corrupt practices seriously since this offence has been on the increase at an alarming rate in recent years.”
Thabane said the anti-corruption unit had been established as an urgent measure to fight corruption. It would operate in the same way as South Africa’s Directorate of Special Investigations — also known as the ”Scorpions”.
The former deputy commissioner of Lesotho’s police force, Borotho Matsoso, had been appointed director of the unit.
Matsoso has a law degree and wide experience in criminal investigations.
He conducted an extensive probe at home and abroad that led to the conviction of the former chief executive officer of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, Masupha Sole.
Sole was recently found guilty of accepting bribes totalling millions US dollars in connection with the giant two-nation water project.
He was sentenced to 18 years in jail but the sentence was reduced to 15 years on appeal. – Sapa