The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences’ intervention in the National University of Lesotho has come under renewed scrutiny following the arraignment of senior academic Professor George Mosotho on corruption and fraud charges, amid deepening governance disputes over the University’s leadership and decision-making processes.
Professor Mosotho appeared before the Maseru Magistrates’ Court earlier this week, charged with corruption and fraud linked to public funding obtained from the Competitiveness and Financial Inclusion Project (CAFI), a World Bank-financed government programme. The charges allege that he unlawfully abused his position at NUL by failing to declare a conflict of interest in order to secure approximately M129,000 in funding for a company he founded and controlled.
The case unfolds against a backdrop of escalating institutional tension at NUL, where the legality of recent Council decisions and the future leadership of the University have become contested at the highest levels.
Corruption charges against a senior academic
According to the charge sheet, Professor Mosotho, who lectures in analytical and applied chemistry and serves on the University’s Innovation Committee, was privy to confidential information relating to competitive CAFI funding administered through...
