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DAM-L LHWP trial postponed/LS (fwd)
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 10:19:53 -0800
To: irn-safrica@netvista.net
From: lori@irn.org (Lori Pottinger)
Subject: LHWP trial postponed/LS
Sender: owner-irn-safrica@netvista.net
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from http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/0,3523,670120-6078-0,00.html
Lesotho Highlands bribery case postponed for six
weeks
MASERU The R25m bribery trial of the former CE of the
Lesotho Highlands Water project, Masupa Sole,
was postponed for six weeks yesterday.
Sole is charged with 16 counts of bribery related to
alleged payments that were made by international
companies through intermediaries to his Swiss bank
accounts.
The presiding officer, Judge Brendan Cullinan, said he
was unable to start hearing the trial due to his
commitment in the court martial of 31 Lesotho defence
force soldiers who were arrested for mutiny after
political disturbances in 1998. Judgment in this case
is scheduled for September 4.
Cullinan, a former chief justice of Lesotho, is
advising the military officers, who are presiding in the court
martial, on legal points.
Meanwhile, in the Lesotho High Court, Judge Semapo
Peete dismissed an application by Sole's defence
counsel, advocate Haae Phoofolo, in which he asked the
court to declare illegal the appointment of two
Durban advocates and a Lesotho attorney to the
prosecuting team in Sole's trial.
Phoofolo challenged the legality of the appointments
on the grounds that they would be biased.
Phoofolo argued that the prosecuting team had appeared
at earlier civil proceedings as counsel for the
Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
Peete dismissed the application on the grounds that
the case was being heard by Cullinan and would be
considered by him.
Sole's case will resume on September 18. Sapa.
Aug 02 2000 12:00:00:000AM Business Day 2nd Edition
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Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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