‘Mantṧali Phakoana
Another former employee of the Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL) has appeared before the Maseru Magistrate Court facing charges of fraud.
Bahlakoana Makhele (45) on Friday appeared Magistrate Itumeleng Letsika. Advocate Lechesa Mahao prosecuted the case.
Makhele is alleged to have unlawfully solicited cash amounting to M75,738.90 for his personal gain from clearing agents who represented some companies that were RSL clients.
He reportedly did this by falsifying their payment receipts and other accompanying documents, and manipulating systems which then resulted in the organisation losing the said amount in revenue.
The accused faces six counts of contravening Section 70(1) (A) of the Value Added Tax Act No.9 of 2001 read with section 70 (1) (i), (ii), (3)(a) (b) and (e) of the same Act. In the alternative, he is charged with contravening section 70 (5) read with section 109 (3) of the Penal Code Act of 2010.
He is further charged with six counts of contravening the provisions of section 25(1) (a) and (i) of the Money Laundering Act 2008 read with section 25 (2) of the Money Laundering Act 2008 as amended by section 20 of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime (amendment) Act no.7 of 2016.
The former RSL senior customs inspector was remanded and released on M5000 bail.
“He was ordered not to interfere with crown witnesses and to stand the trial to finality,” reads a statement from the RSL.
The statement further states that the accused tendered his resignation from the RSL with immediate effect on 11 April 2023 following internal investigations into the matter.
The court ordered Makhele to appear in court again on August 1 this year.
The RSL noted that the prosecution of the case was aligned to the organisation’s commitment to the fight against corruption in all its forms, especially within its own ranks.
A month ago, another former RSL employee appeared before the Botha-Bothe Magistrate Court for allegedly stealing M39 790 on different incidents paid by the RSL clients when buying tollgate prepaid cards. The case is still pending.
