Maseru __ Basotho National Party (BNP) Leader, Mr. Machesetsa Mofomobe has lashed at Prime Minister (PM) Samuel Matekane for not firing Public Works and Transport Minister Matjato Moteeane for alleged corruption.

Moteeane has lately been in the spotlight for allegedly competing with local businessmen and his company being awarded a tender in a questionable manner, despite him giving assurance that he has resigned from the said company.

Mofomobe said Moteeane should have been fired right away for dragging the government into the mud, especially with the court case against parliament that the ministry has now launched.

He also mentioned that both the parliament and the ministry obtain legal services from the Attorney General (AG), and he suspects that the office is now in a dilemma.

The Ministry Public Works of Transport filed a court case against the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), requesting the court to bar the committee from investigating it further.

The BNP Leader commented that the case is just a cover up for the corruption that is going on in that ministry.

Miss. Ts’epang Koele, the Ministry’s Principal Secretary (PS) was earlier ordered to appear before the committee to give details of how part of the Moshoeshoe I reconstruction funds were given to the Minister’s Moteeane’s company.

Koele had failed to explain the controversial tender awarding process to the committee which demanded that she explain the criterion used before Moteeane’s company obtained the tender.

The Moshoeshoe I International Airport refurbishment costs have ballooned from M50 million to M184 million, and part of the job has been awarded to Khatleli Tomane Architects which the Minister is believed to be a shareholder.

However, Minister Moteeane had responded to allegations of corruption, citing that he sold his shares when he decided to get into politics.

At the request for the PMs opinion, the Media Attache, Mr. Thapelo Mabote said there has to be something tangible for the minister to get fired.