Government disbands high-profile asset recovery task team

Cabinet axes team, citing “lack of legal standing,” casting doubt on fate of pending corruption cases

MOTSAMAI MOKOTJO

MASERU – In a move that halts a flagship anti-corruption initiative, the cabinet has dissolved the Government Assets Search Recovery Task Team (GASRTT), declaring it lacks the legal foundation to operate.

The decision, announced on October 23, represents a major reversal for Prime Minister Ntsokoane Matekane’s administration.

Upon his election in 2022, Matekane pledged a comprehensive audit and recovery of state properties looted since Lesotho’s independence in 1966.

Established by the Minister of Law in March 2023, the 11-member GASRTT was tasked with tracking down and recovering unlawfully acquired state assets. The team had vowed to “leave no stone unturned” in its mission.

Despite its ambitious mandate, the task team was operating without a specific law to grant it official powers. A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that this legal gap led to its dissolution.

“The team lacks legislation, hence the decision to dissolve it,” the source said. “No one in the government is willing to enact the law needed to empower the team to carry out its mandate effectively.”

According to Public Eye findings, the dissolution throws into question the fate of the team’s ongoing work, which includes 11 criminal cases and three civil cases currently before the courts. When contacted for comment, a source intimate with the details suggested, “Perhaps the Attorney General will provide guidance on the ongoing cases.”

The move leaves the future of the government’s promised crackdown on the systemic plunder of state assets uncertain.