THE six officials from the Land Administration Authority (LAA) who face fraud charges and the suspended Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs, and Police, Lefu Manyokole were on Monday this week released on M1 000 bail each.

The sextet comprises the Director of Leasing and Customer Service, Ntšebo Putsoa along with her subordinate officers, including Ntsoaki Matobo, Matlaleha Phahlane, Thakane Tau, Phakoane Pitikoe, and Lebaka Matlatsa.

The six are alleged to have connived with Manyokole, 59, of Maseru East in acquiring land by illegal means. 

Evidence in court shows that the land officials assisted Manyokole in unlawfully acquiring a house in Qoaling, Maseru between 2016 and 2018.

It is alleged that between April 2016 and May 2018, Manyokole submitted a false statement in writing to the LAA, claiming that the property in question legally belonged to him.

He is alleged to have procured a lease for that site.  

The court heard how in his lease application, Manyokole and his wife and brother-in-law had shown that they inherited the property in 1978.

But the court has since established that in that year, Manyokole was only 15 years old while his wife was aged 14 and that the two were not even living together then.

It is further alleged that police investigators were deployed to the LAA to work undercover and their investigations led to the eventual apprehension of the six officials.

Manyokole who has since been suspended from his position as PS has served in that role in a number of ministries.

He was appointed to the position during the past coalition government led by former Prime Minister Motsoahae Thabane.