On May 2, the trial will start of more than 20 international contractors, consultants and individuals implicated in a $1.2m bribery scandal on the first phase of the massive Lesotho Highlands Water Project in southern Africa.
The companies, which have consistently refuted the charges and deny involvement, have been formally charged at Maseru Magistrates Court with 16 counts of bribery, mainly involving Masupha Sole, the disgraced former chief executive of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority.
The companies formally charged are two JVs which were responsible for most of the construction on Phase 1A of the scheme.The first is Lesotho Highlands Project Contractors, which built the water transfer and water diversion tunnels. The consortium includes Spie Batignolles of France; the UK’s Balfour Beatty; and Ed Zublin of Germany,
The second group is Highlands Water Venture, which includes the UK’s Kier International and Impregilo from Italy. This group built the Katse Dam.
Other firms charged are most of the consultants which worked on Phase 1A. They are Acres International from Canada; the UK’s Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners; Coyne et Bellier, Cegelec, Sogreah, Spie Batignolles and Dumez International, all from France; Lahmeyer International from Germany; Swiss-Swedish group ABB; Universal Development Corporation and Electro Power Corporation from Panama; and local company Associated Consultants and Project Managers.
The two JVs told T&T International that they strenuously denied the charges. In a statement, Highlands Water Venture said it "had made no payment for whatever sum at whatever time to Mr M E Sole, former chief executive of LHDA."
