Ex-NGO officials charged with stealing funds for the blind

Three former senior officials of an NGO in Lesotho have been charged with defrauding the organisation of nearly M1m ($62m), reports GroundUp. The trio is accused of siphoning funds from the Lesotho National League of Visually Impaired Persons. They appeared in the Maseru Magistrate’s Court last Friday. The accused are Cecilia Rahlao, the former accountant; Mabataung Khetsi, the former secretary-general; and Tlalane Lebusa, the former treasurer. They face multiple counts of corruption, and alternative charges of theft and fraud. According to the charge sheet, the accused used their senior positions within the organisation to make numerous unauthorised cash withdrawals between October 2021 and December 2023. The prosecution also contends that the accused committed fraud by intentionally making false representations to bank staff, claiming they were authorised to withdraw large sums over the counter. This was in contravention of the organisation’s internal practice of avoiding over-the-counter cash withdrawals as a risk-mitigation measure. The prosecution argues that they contravened the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act of 1999 and the Penal Code Act of 2010. The three women were granted bail on Friday.