News24.com
August 28, 2003

Maseru, Lesotho: A third foreign company is set to be prosecuted for alleged bribery in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, officials said on Thursday.

Lesotho’s attorney general Fine Maema said a court date would be set for the prosecution of French construction company, Spie Batagnolles.

The action follows the R10.6m fine imposed on Tuesday on German engineering contractor, Lahmeyer International and a R15m fine on Canadian company Acres International earlier this month. Both companies were convicted on bribery charges related to the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

Lesotho’s director of Public Prosecutions, Leaba Thetsane said several other companies and individuals would also be prosecuted for allegedly bribing Masupha Sole, the former chief executive of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority. Details of these charges were not immediately available.

Sole is serving a 15-year jail term for accepting bribes from international contractors and consultants to influence him in the awarding of the multimillion dollar water project.