Former assistant minister’s car recovered in Zambia

’Mantoetse Maama MASERU — Former education assistant minister ’Matanki
Mokhabi’s official car, that was allegedly stolen in March, has been recovered
in Zambia, the Sunday Express heard this week. Mokhabi’s Mercedes-Benz C200 was taken to Imperial garage
in Maseru in June last year for repairs only for it to disappear under
controversial circumstances. A driver, whose name was not
released, allegedly went to Imperial which repairs government vehicles and
asked the management to release it to him. The driver allegedly told an official at Imperial that he
had been directed to take the vehicle worth M400 000 to Avis, which had been
granted the contract to repair government cars. In March, the ministry’s administration officer,’
Matontšo ’Mokose, went to Imperial to inquire about it only to be told the
vehicle had been taken to Avis by one of the drivers.

“We took the vehicle to Imperial but it was not repaired
immediately because it was in the middle of the financial year so we did not have
funds to pay for it,” ’Mokose told a press conference on Friday. “In March this year I went to Imperial to get the
quotation of the vehicle’s repair but I was told that one of our drivers took
it saying he was taking it to Avis.” ’Mokose went to Avis but got the shock of her life when
she was told that the minister’s car was never taken there. ’Mokose said they reported the matter to the police and
the driver was called for a disciplinary hearing. He was subsequently suspended
from work. “Imperial should not have released the vehicle to someone
else except me. They should have called my office to ask whether they should
release the car to the driver,” she said.

Detective police constable, Khotso Moorosi, said during
their investigations they learned that the car was in Namibia but later they
received
information that the vehicle was in Zambia. “We left the country with a delegation of four people and
amongst us it was the education officer who was going to identify the car,”
Moorosi said. “The vehicle was already in police custody after it was
confiscated from the person who bought it. “The Zambian suspect told police that he was not aware
that the car had been stolen when he bought it. He was complaining that he had
spent a lot of money on it.” Five suspects, including the driver, will face a charge
of theft. Three of the suspects are Basotho while two are from South Africa and
Zambia. He said the Zambian and South
African suspects will have to be extradited to Lesotho to answer charges of
theft. Moorosi said they are still investigating the case and as
soon as they are done the suspects will go to court. Mokhabi’s driver, Teboho Makoanyane, told the Sunday
Express yesterday that he had nothing to do with the theft of the car.

“I never went to Imperial or Avis to get the car
released,” Makoanyane said. “There was never a car that was broken and taken there
for service. I’m being used as a scapegoat,” he said. Education Minister ’Makabelo Mosothoane said it’s high
time that the government hires a person to take charge of all its vehicles. “We
need a transport officer who will be responsible for all vehicles so that if
something like this occurs the government will have someone who will be
responsible,” Mosothoane said.