Manyokole, 'Bikerboy' Cleared Of Fraud Charges

(MENAFN- The Post) MASERU

FORMER principal secretary Lefu Manyokole and businessman Pitso 'Bikerboy' Ntsukunyane have been cleared of corruption and fraud charges.

Manyokole and Ntsukunyane were acquitted on Monday after Chief Magistrate 'Matankiso Nthunya found that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

They had been charged together with the late acting chief executive of the Disaster Management Authority (DMA), 'Makhotso Mahosi

The state had alleged that Ntsukunyane's LL Construction Company was corruptly awarded the M4.5 million tender for the construction of the Seboche Bridge in Leribe. The state alleged that LL

Construction Company was awarded the contract without following procurement procedures.

Manyokole was accused of using his position as principal secretary of local government and chieftainship to influence or choose a company to build the Seboche Bridge.

Magistrate Nthunya however ruled that the state had failed to prove its case against the two. She noted that the defence pointed out several contradictions on the evidence of eighth and ninth witnesses, who were both present during the interviews.

“The court at this juncture is convinced that there were more than two people during the interview. We are not sure of when the statement was made.”Advertisement

Magistrate Nthunya said it is important to create a conducive environment for the statement to be taken from the suspects.

“Having several people during the interview counts a lot in this respect.”

She said the lack of transparency during the interviews is a problem as the witness' versions were contradictory.

“The crown heard evidence of nine witnesses and it is the testimony of eighth and ninth witnesses that brought us to a trial within a trial,” she said.

She further said that the defence then moved an application for the discharge of the two accused

Magistrate Nthunya found that the tender panel in the ministry rejected a suggestion that Ntsukunyane's company was suitable for the job.

“They were aware that proper procedures had not been followed,” she said.

She said the panel then ordered Manyokole to take the matter to the DMA, where Ntsukunyane's company competed with two others.

“The DMA tender panel approved (Ntsukunyane)'s LL Construction to build Seboche Bridge.”

She said the courts rely on the circumstantial evidence gathered

She said the DMA is the right body to award tenders relating to disasters,“and it did so, the bridge was built, and it was said to be good”.

She further said they will not dwell much on the credibility of the witnesses but whether the crown has made a case for the accused to answer.

Ntsukunyane is however not yet totally out of trouble as he faced other corruption and fraud charges relating to government tenders.

In the first count, it is alleged that Ntsukunyane in March 2023 lied to the Local Government Ministry that his LL Construction Company had the necessary experience in the rehabilitation of gravity and solar water systems Ha-Monyake, Kholokoe, in Mafeteng.

This, the prosecution says, was one of the reasons the company was awarded the tender worth close to M1.4 million

Ntsukunyane is also alleged to have allegedly misled the Ministry of Water by saying his LL Construction Company had completed the quantity of work it was awarded for each item in the bill of quantities, without defects and therefore payment was due.

The prosecution says Ntsukunyane knew that the quantity of work submitted to the Ministry of Water had not been completed.

The ministry, the prosecution says, ultimately paid his company M802 135.

Staff Reporter

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