Business Day, South Africa
June 17, 2003

MASERU — A German engineering company, Lahmeyer, has found guilty of bribing a top official of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

Lesotho High Court Judge Gabriel Mofolo found the company guilty on seven counts for paying R5.9-million in bribes to Lesotho Highlands Development Authority former chief executive Masupha Sole over a six-year period.

The court found that Sole was paid influence the awarding of major construction contracts for the project.

The project supplies water to South Africa.

Lahmeyer was acquitted on five counts.

Sole was jailed for 15 years last year for accepting bribes from international consultants and contractors in Germany, Canada, France, Britain and the United States.

Counsel for Lahmeyer, advocate Sytze Alkemase, told the court that the question of sentence was urgent as the company still had to tender for contracts in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa.