Lesotho’s M855 million mess
MASERU – FORMER Minister Temeki Tšolo played a central role in negotiating and signing the M1.6 billion solar deal that has soured and could see Lesotho losing its international assets after violating the contract.
There are fresh details on how Tšolo committed the government to a staggering contract – without cabinet approval or following procedure – and then repeatedly ignored clear legal warnings that his decision was leading Lesotho into a monumental disaster.
Now Lesotho has lost an arbitration and three cases as Frazer Solar, the German company, goes after its international assets.
The German company is claiming M855 million from Lesotho and has been winning court cases across the world.
Chaos amid accusations
MASERU – PRIME Minister Moeketsi Majoro allegedly ignored a legal warning that Lesotho’s assets were about to be seized to settle Frazer Solar’s M855 million claim.
The revelations are in stark contrast to what Majoro and the government claimed last week when it was announced that Frazer Solar was about to seize Lesotho’s assets for breaching a solar contract signed in September 2018.
Majoro told a press conference, last week, that the government was still investigating the issue. The government said the same in a statement that urged Basotho and international partners to remain claim.
However, Frazer Solar this week insisted that the government knew about the claim and the impending seizures.
M1, 7 billion solar energy deal haunts Majoro lestimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lestimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Lesotho’s assets face seizure
MASERU – LESOTHO’s international assets worth nearly a billion maloti could be seized after the government allegedly breached its contract with a German energy company.
The company, Frazer Solar, won the arbitration in January last year and was awarded €50 million (M855 million) in damages.
The Lesotho government did not participate in the tribunal, held in South Africa, despite being informed. Frazer Solar has since applied for an order in a United States court to seize Lesotho’s international assets.
The dispute stems from a supply contract the government signed with Frazer Solar in September 2018. Under the deal, worth €100 million, Frazer Solar was to supply solar water heaters, LED lights and solar lanterns to 350 000 rural households.
SIU claims Masuku’s denial of knowledge of irregular PPE procurement is ‘self-serving’ News24 Wire
Former Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku | Picture: Twitter / @GautengProvince Masuku’s legal team earlier submitted to the court that SIU’s findings were not ‘supported by a shred of evidence’.
Former Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku’s denial of knowledge of corrupt, unlawful and irregular procurement of PPE is self-serving, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) argued in court papers.
“Having regard to his constitutional and statutory duties, I respectfully submit that the applicant’s denial of knowledge of corrupt, unlawful and improper procurement by, and in the provincial department, is simply unfounded and impermissibly self-serving,” SIU for