DCEO charges Maputsoe court clerks

…with corruption, fraud and theft

Kabelo Masoabi

TWO clerks employed at the Maputsoe Local Court have appeared before the Leribe Magistrates’ Court facing 14 counts of corruption, fraud and theft.

The accused are ’Mammatli Mokaeana (45) of Ha Simone in Leribe and Lefehlo Mokitlane (40) of Butha-Buthe. They are alleged to have embezzled government and public funds by unlawfully collecting court fines, submitting fraudulent receipts and soliciting bribes through the M-Pesa mobile money platform in April 2024.

The charges were instituted by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) on Thursday. Magistrate Tlohang Mohanoe granted each accused bail of M1000 with a property surety of M20 000. The matter was postponed to 18 February 2026 for the allocation of a hearing date.

According to DCEO prosecutor Advocate Lebohang Motelle, the two civil servants allegedly collected fines from unsuspecting members of the public at or near the Maputsoe Local Court and later submitted falsified receipts to the Leribe Sub-Accountancy Office. It is further alleged that bribes were solicited via M-Pesa.

The court heard that the alleged offences were committed at different times during April 2024.

Fraud charges

The accused are alleged to have defrauded the government through the falsification of court fine receipts, in contravention of Section 68(1) read with Sections 26(1) and 109 of the Penal Code Act No. 6 of 2010.

According to the charge sheet, count one alleges that the accused, acting in furtherance of a common purpose, deliberately made false representations by recording the actual fine of M3000 on payee receipt number K43695, while falsely entering an amount of M25 on the counterfoil.

The falsified counterfoil was allegedly submitted to the Leribe Sub-Accountancy Office as the full amount received in respect of case CC57/22 Rex v Ferere. As a result, the state is said to have suffered a loss of M2975 in court fines.

In count three, the accused are alleged to have received M2000 under receipt number K52275 in the matter of Rex v Mohapi Mohale CR48/43, which was correctly reflected on the payee receipt. However, the counterfoil of the same receipt allegedly reflected a different case, Rex v Tšepiso Monesa, showing a payment of only M500.

The counterfoil was allegedly submitted to the Leribe Sub-Accountancy Office as though it was the only money received, thereby depriving the government of M1500.

Count five states that the accused wrote the true amount of M1500 on payee receipt number K43227 in the case of CR68/22 Rex v ’Matšepo Khamokha, but recorded a false amount of M15 on the government counterfoil.

The counterfoil allegedly bore a different case number, CC35/22 M Mokhele v T Mokhele, and was submitted to the Leribe Sub-Accountancy Office as the only amount received. The state allegedly suffered a loss of M1485 as a result.

In count seven, one of the accused is alleged to have demanded and received M230 from Tebello Rataisane through her personal M-Pesa number. It is alleged that the accused deceived Rataisane into believing that a court case would be opened on behalf of her daughter, which was never done, thereby defrauding her of the money. This count is brought under Section 68(1) read with Section 109 of the Penal Code Act No. 6 of 2010.

Corruption charges

The accused are facing multiple corruption-related charges under Section 29(1) of the Penal Code Act No. 6 of 2010, as well as Section 21(3)(a) and (b) read with Section 34 of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act of 1999, as amended in 2026. Additional counts relate to contraventions of different subsections of the same Act.

According to the charge sheet, count two alleges that the accused, acting in common purpose, abused their official positions by recording the correct amount of M3000 on payee receipt number K43695, but falsely entering M25 on the government counterfoil.

The counterfoil was submitted to the Leribe Sub-Accountancy Office as though it represented the full amount received by the local court in respect of CC57/22 Rex v M Ferere. Prosecutors allege that the accused misappropriated M2975 to the detriment of the government.

In count four, the accused allegedly received M2000 under receipt number K52275 in the matter of CR48/23 Rex v Mohapi Mohale, as reflected on the payee receipt. However, the counterfoil of the same receipt bore a different case, Rex v Tšepiso Monesa, and recorded a payment of only M500. The difference of M1500 is said to have been unlawfully retained and never remitted to the Sub-Accountancy Office.

Count six states that the accused issued payee receipt number K43227 reflecting the correct amount of M1500 in CR68/22 Rex v ’Matšepo Khamokha, but recorded a false amount of M15 on the government counterfoil.

The counterfoil allegedly carried a different case number, CC35/22 M Mokhele v T Mokhele, and was submitted to the Leribe Sub-Accountancy Office as the only amount received. Prosecutors allege that the accused benefited by M1485, causing prejudice to the government.

In count eight, one of the accused is alleged to have demanded and received M230 from Tebello Rataisane via her personal M-Pesa account, falsely claiming the money would be used to open a case on behalf of Rataisane’s daughter. The charge states that no such case was opened and that the accused unlawfully benefited from the payment.

Count Nine alleges that the same accused demanded and received M1513 from Rataisane as a fine in respect of Sebongile Rataisane. The money was deposited into the accused’s M-Pesa account, thereby giving herself an undue advantage.

In count 11, the accused is alleged to have demanded M2500 from ’Mamoroesi Monyane, claiming it was a fine for her son, Ts’oloane Monyane, who was being held at the Maputsoe Local Court. The money was allegedly received through the accused’s M-Pesa account and used for personal purposes.

Count 12 states that the accused, in her official capacity as a court clerk, unlawfully abused the functions of her office by demanding and receiving M2540 from Makolane Ramabolu in respect of his father Malefetsane Ramabolu’s court fine. The amount was deposited into the accused’s M-Pesa account, allegedly conferring an undue advantage on herself.

In count 14, the accused is charged with receiving money for a messenger’s fee from ’Makopanang Pheta without issuing a receipt. The payment was made into the accused’s M-Pesa account. The charge states that the money was only returned after the matter had been reported to the accused’s supervisor.

Theft charges

One of the accused has also been charged with contravening Section 59(c) read with Section 109 of the Penal Code Act No. 6 of 2010.

According to the charge sheet, in count 10 the accused is alleged to have demanded and received M1513 from Rataisane in connection with a fine imposed in the case of Sebongile Rataisane. The money was allegedly deposited into the accused’s M-Pesa account, thereby unlawfully benefiting herself.

In count 13, the accused, in her capacity as a government employee, is alleged to have demanded and received M2540 from Makolane Ramabolu in respect of a court fine relating to his father, Malefetsane Ramabolu. The amount was similarly deposited into the accused’s M-Pesa account for her personal benefit.