A former assistant human resources officer in Leribe has been charged with bribery and fraud after allegedly demanding payments from teacher applicants and tampering with recruitment records.
By Tholoana Lesenya
A 30-year-old former Assistant Human Resource Officer attached to the Leribe District Education Office has appeared in court on charges of bribery, corruption, fraud and extortion.
The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences alleges that TÅ¡ireletso Lekoetje of Ha Raliee abused his access to confidential teacher recruitment documents during the 2024 exercise to solicit money from job applicants.
âInvestigators say Lekoetje allegedly received a total of M9,500 from different candidates in exchange for manipulating recruitment outcomes.â
Prosecutors allege that candidates who performed well in interviews were threatened with losing their positions unless they paid. One candidate ranked third is said to have paid M6,000, after which Lekoetje allegedly altered official records to move the candidate to first place.
Allegations of teacher recruitment corruption in Leribe
The DCEO says Lekoetje tampered with Schedule 17, an official document used in teacher appointments. Original pages with legitimate rankings were allegedly removed and replaced with falsified versions that were later submitted to the Teaching Service Commission.
The altered records led to appointments at Thokoa Primary School and St Phillips Primary School that prosecutors claim were obtained through fraud.
Bail refused and ongoing investigation
Lekoetje was granted bail of M2,000 cash deposit plus M20,000 surety but failed to meet the conditions and remains in custody. He was also ordered not to interfere with witnesses or obstruct the investigation.
The case has revived older allegations of officials demanding large sums for teaching posts. Investigators say more victims or witnesses may still come forward as the matter proceeds through the courts.
