LRA seizes Moosa’s household property
MASERU — The Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA) yesterday seized businessman Osman Moosa’s property after he failed to pay the tax he evaded for years.
The Lesotho Times can reveal that LRA officers took household property from Moosa’s house in Lower Thetsane. They also attached his office property from Selkol 1983 (Pty) Ltd, a furniture manufacturing company in Maseru West Industrial Area. From his house the officers attached two expensive vehicles, a Mercedes Benz and a Ford Ranger truck.
The LRA officers arrived at Moosa’s house at around 7am and proceeded to cordon off the two cars parked outside his garage. By around 6:30pm some of Moosa’s property was still being loaded onto a truck. Among the property attached were fridges, chairs and tables. At Selkol 1983 (Pty) Ltd the LRA is said to have attached office and manufacturing equipment but they had not moved the property by late last night. This paper understands that the LRA was yesterday considering locking some of Selkol 1983 (Pty)’s offices for the next few days to keep the property.
Moosa could not be reached for comment yesterday as his phone was unavailable. But is it understood that when the LRA officers arrived at his house Moosa desperately tried to stop them by trying to negotiate. Moosa, who is the chairman of the Private Sector Foundation of Lesotho, was convicted on 51 counts of fraud and tax evasion in August 2011. He was convicted together with his son, Shameen Moosa, and their company Selkol 1983 (Pty) Ltd.
Selkol is a member of Moosa’s Group of Companies that includes Building World (Pty) Ltd, Moosa Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Moosa’s Bargain and City Moosa Cash & Carry. High Court judge Justice ’Maseforo Mahase sentenced Moosa to six years imprisonment or a fine of M500 000. Osman was also sentenced to a further six years which was suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of any crime involving taxation or contravention of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act. Apart from a stake in Frasers, a retail chain in Lesotho, Moosa also owns a number of properties in Maseru.
Shameen was sentenced to three years for 90 counts of tax evasion but was given an option to pay a M100 000 fine. Selkol 1983 has been ordered to pay a fine of M1.5 million for 57 counts of fraud. The company will also pay M4 million in taxes it owes the LRA. Moosa, Selkol and Shameen were facing a total of 316 charges related to fraud and tax evasion. Their conviction followed a plea bargaining between Moosa’s lawyer SC Guido Penzhorn and the crown counsel, SC Barry Roux.
The judge said Selkol 1983 should break the M4 million payment to the LRA in four instalments of M1 million each. She ordered that the first instalment should be paid by November 30, 2011 while the second M1 million should reach the LRA by December 31.
The third and fourth instalments would be paid in January and February 2012. The LRA moved to attach the property because Moosa has failed to repay the tax as ordered by the court. The indictment filed in the High Court in 2011 showed that Moosa and Shameen operated two sets of accounts to avoid paying tax.
According to court papers the Moosas, who are directors of Selkol (Pty) which makes furniture and supplies major retail shops countrywide, operated two sets of accounts they used to dodge tax between 1997 and 2006. The crown however centred its charges on the period between 2003 and 2006. The Moosas were charged with failing to disclose Selkol’s sales amounting to M10.9 million. They are also said to have overstated Selkol’s purchases by M5.2 million and in the process failed to pay M1.6 million in tax.
The crown said they failed to declare M1.2 million of Selkol’s sales for the period between April and June of 2003. Selkol was supposed to have paid 10 percent of sales tax to the LRA as well as income tax at 15 percent but the directors did not declare the correct sales figures, the crown said. From July 2003 to August 2006 the two did not disclose the company’s M9.7 million worth of sales out of which M1.3 million was supposed to be VAT. Osman has been the Selkol director since 1983 while Shameen joined him on the board in 2000.
One set of accounts was on an accounting software programme called UltiSales which was kept in a directory ledger called POS, according to the indictment.
The POS ledger contained Selkol’s sales as part of its business in Lesotho from which the company earned gross profit and taxable income. The gross income from the sales captured on the POS ledger was shown in the income tax returns of the company to the LRA for tax assessment periods between 1997 and 2006, court papers said. Things seemed to go well until the LRA investigators raided Moosa’s home and discovered the second set of accounts which was captured on a memory stick and saved on a Selkol computer server in a directory called NAOL.
Further investigations revealed NAOL was a code name for LOAN and the directory contained Selkol’s sales that were not captured in the POS ledger. Investigators also found Selkol’s receipt book at Moosa’s home which showed the company’s sales for the period of November 2005 to April 2007. The two directors were accused of manipulating the amount of stock purchased by Selkol in the financial records in order to reduce the amount of income tax payable.
It was the NAOL memory stick and the receipt book that revealed that the Moosas had not declared the company’s sales worth M10.9 million.
Comment by Tautona on 28 February 2013:
Ho bona LRA. If such a big company as selkol esa batle ho khafa e re ho khafe bo mang? Le entse lesotho mona mmantloaneng kea bona!
Comment by Tlou on 28 February 2013:
“…High Court judge Justice ’Maseforo Mahase sentenced Moosa to six years imprisonment or a fine of M500 000. The judge said Selkol 1983 should break the M4 million payment to the LRA in four instalments of M1 million each. She ordered that the first instalment should be paid by November 30, 2011 while the second M1 million should reach the LRA by December 31….”
Staff Reporter, are you saying that Selkol 1983 has failed to pay M4 million to LRA in four instalments of M1 million each?
Staff Reporter, we know that Mr Mphana and Mr Chere are your sources for this article. They should have clarified the following:
* Is LRA attaching property of Mr Moosa simply because he failed pay? If so, when did he make the last payment? How much is supposed to be recovered from M4 million since November 30, 2011?
Staff Reporter, you claim that by around 6:30pm some of Moosa’s property was still being loaded onto a truck, this simply shows that you were there personally but you failed to get the side Mr Moosa telephonically. Does it make sense that you were able to see what was happening at Mr Moosa’s residence, but you could not attempt to find Mr Moosa for interview. One can smell a rat!
Comment by Silky on 28 February 2013:
We congradulate the work of LRA for ensuring TAX compliance to everybody. Again, LRA should be careful in dealing with big businesses like SELKOL because lot of people have been hired by this company. When LRA closed SELKOL on the 27 February 2013 before the employees could be paid their monthly salary, was it a wise decision?
Comment by Tlou on 28 February 2013:
The LRA officers arrived at Moosa’s house at around 7am and proceeded to cordon off the two cars parked outside his garage.
At that time, was there any Court Order to empower LRA officers to act like that? Clearly, there was not Court Order at that time, but ABUSE OF POWER.
Comment by Lebo on 28 February 2013:
LRA did obtain Court Order at 14:30hrs
Comment by John on 28 February 2013:
Guys, I find it unsual that LRA officers and LMPS personnel can arrive at Moosa’s house at around 7am without Court Order and then proceeded to cordon off the cars. After 6 hours, it is only then LRA is being granted Court Order. It looks like LRA was in a hurry to act. The question is how comes that LRA can act in this manner unless there is a motive behind?
Comment by Lebohang on 28 February 2013:
Everyone ought to be tax compliant and LRA should enforce laws within its mandate. One gets concerned about the acts of LRA whereby it took the property of a business without Court Order. Frankly speaking, LRA should not be seen as a tool to be used by politicians to settle their personal vendetta against others.
Comment by nna on 28 February 2013:
hahahahaha,i fail to comment well,coz the reporter is lying.i was there and never saw 1 reporter,there were only LRA reps there my dear friends,TIMES plz stop misinforming us.
Comment by Pule on 28 February 2013:
After having read both the article and the comments, I feel that the readers who have posted the comments, are either employees from LRA or from Lesotho Times. Apparently, there seems to be a lot of insider information that is being disclosed. The comments were more informative than the actual article. I should think that the “staff reporter” should get trained on “investigative journalism”. Clearly, Lesotho Times is, and has historically shown, to be nothing but a mouthpiece/journalistic henchmen for LRA. This is very disturbing, because half-truths are as harmful as downright lying. In future, I would encourage this paper to look at both sides of the coin before mouthing off a half-baked, one-sided article with a single motive of character assassination. Otherwise, Lesotho Times will one day be forced to put “Lesotho Times sued by the masses for propaganda” in its headlines…
Comment by The Enlightened ONE on 28 February 2013:
Chairman of the Private Sector Foundation of Lesotho and you evdae TAX? How does anyone in that fondation tkae yoru decisions or what you say seriously, youare supposed to promote good governance and ethics throughtout the private sector yet you evade TAX?
Comment by serurubele on 28 February 2013:
as far as i can remember, Selkol is paying R80,000 every month (plea bargaining) for this R4million that they are owing to LRA. I dont understand why they are claiming that they are not paid since almost every month they are issuing and signing the payment notice form and they were given a copy of the receipt every time Selkol pays.
Just asking.
Comment by soso on 28 February 2013:
PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION AND ECONOMIC OFFENCES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2006.
Section 24 provides; where a person has been convicted of corruption or cheating public revenue, the Court may, in addition to the sentence imposed and upon application by prosecution, order forfeiture to the State of all assets accrued to the convict or held on his or her behalf.
please help: Who will do the dirty work of implementing this section?
Comment by Concerned on 28 February 2013:
I think is a gross missuse of justice. the LRA have become Renegades, and are misusing thier mandate of tax collection. they have become rogues of justice, and thus misuse the powers granted to them. look at thier processes and how can anyone believe that they are not unconstitutional. they tell you what you owe them, you must pay what they say or they use force. The news papers always give only one side of these storys, the other party almost always never comments. how is this possible? it will suffice one to see the duration of time these companies have been in existance, since 1983, if the LRA has only found these allegations out now, surely they havent been doing thier work correctly for a great number of years. do they understand that this type of renegade work, will invariably detract investors from our country.
Comment by Oa Likoetseng on 28 February 2013:
Khaale re bolela hore MaIndia ana a Kotsi. Haeba Machaena aa bolisitse Naha eena ka Libolu…MaIndia oona a e bolisitse ka fraud.
Ntate DCEO hoja oa nka monyetla oa fatisisa hore naa li Property tsena tseo ho thoeng Monna enoa o na le tsona naa haa lia fumanoa ka fraud.
Comment by BKC on 28 February 2013:
It is worse enough that these bussiness giants should be allowed to effectively evade tax while the hard working class of this Nation is effeciently made to pay through their neck,every last penny to the tax man.
While the tax regime of Lesotho by itself is indeed merciless on the common man one fails to understand why it would take such a long time to get caught up!
One is just wondering whether other lesser Basotho bussiness men have the same benefit!
Comment by lerato on 28 February 2013:
Isnt it embrassing that Moosa, a tax evader, is now employing some relatives and bootlickers to fight his case through a newspaper website. It really doesnt matter when the order was found and how many journalists were there. What is important is that the bugger’s property was attached. Instead of spending time shouting on this website Moosa’s relatives and bootlickers must be helping him comply with the law. He is a cheat who has been taking advantage of lesotho. This business of posting supportive comments on this website wont change that fact. Moosa remains a convicted man. You can cry all you want but you are defending a man who cheated lesotho of its tax. tax doesnot belong to the payer but the sate.
Another thing, its so clear that all those who are screaming on the website are on Moosa’s payroll. Or they are relatives eating from his hand. Or its Moosa, the convict himself who is wrting under different names. Get a life you morons.
Comment by Lekula on 28 February 2013:
Jackpot i ile ea koaloa ka taba tsena tsa TAX EVASION joale ke utloa batho ba complain ha Osman a phethisoa as if eena u betere ho feta ba bang!
Comment by katleho on 28 February 2013:
Lerato, if u r an employee of Moosa who has kids, husband is just earning R1200, and renting a house what r u going to do? Moosa is not running away from his obligations to LRA . And tell me who is not cheating in d business. Even the one selling makoenya is putting more yeast to have more profit.
Try to go to goLRA with some queries. I’m telling you , they will send u to 3rd flr , then 3rd flr will send u to 2nd flr and 2nd flr will send u to ground floor and u will just go out from finance house without getting d right answer, meaning?
and I’m telling u not everyone paying fine are cheating. It’s just that they need the tax clearance certificate while waiting for re-assessment result that will take sometimes years or until factory close down.
Comment by lerato on 28 February 2013:
@katleho, if everyone is cheating that doesnt mean that its the right thing to do.
A wrong by a majority does not make it right. The point here is that Moosa cheated and he has to pay for his mistakes. This issue has nothing to do with who earns what at selkol. It has nothing to do with how many people he is employing. It is about the company’s tax obligation to the state.
There are many companies that employ more people that Selkol but they are paying their taxes. For you own information, the LRA gave Moosa ample time to comply. Those that think he was caught by surprise dont know how tax regulators operate. There are clear channels for appeal, review and a process followed before property is attached. The LRA has no interest jailing evaders and closing their companies because that affects their tax base. They want evaders to remain free so that they can pay their taxes.
katleho, dont miss the point.
Comment by Mphoko on 28 February 2013:
LRA, just update about the case of CGM where it was discovered by former minister of finance was in a payroll of CGM.
LRA could not expose the former minister of finance then because the Commissioner General of LRA was in a mercy of getting his contract renewed.
LRA is an embarassing to Basotho nation.
Comment by maluti on 28 February 2013:
first jackpot then selkol? i hope lesotho revenue authority help them to find another job to those worker who works in this company
Comment by Manthomeng on 28 February 2013:
Ke eona naha eo ho ikengoeng ka hore e ea lapa ee eo le tax collector ea eona e loanang le li investors le bahoebi ka tsela ee. Ke mang ea tla tsetela ka har’a naha ee e business ea eona e tsamaisoang ke ba polotiki ba sebelisang bahoebi ba senang boiphehlelo ho loants’a li investor ha li qala li iphumana ho tsekoa lithepa le maruo a bona ho ithuisoa ke bo nkeka. Hantle ha re bana re a bona na ho etsahalang empa ke nako e mpe hona joale Basotho ba hlalefile re ntse re bona na ho etsahalang re le shebile le tla le chabela letsitsa ka leleng. le se ke la lebala hore lefats’e ke lebili lea potoloha ba ba bang ba lona baetsi ba liketso tsena tse sooto re tla be re shebile lona le le chabetse. Tsoelang pele nako e ea le lumella. Bohlooko ke hore batho bana ba bonang bobolu ba batho ba bang bona ke libolu tse bolileng ka bobolu ba nkha ba re phuu ke ithoena ntho e nngoe le e nngoe ba e fihlelang ka mahahapa. le tla lechabela le ke be la kholoa.
Comment by Mapaseka on 1 March 2013:
Thank you Mosongoa et al for destroying flourishing businesses instead of helping out. I have two questions though…
1. How do you expect business people to pay all that you
claim is due to you when previously there were no
guidelines in dealing with tax ?
2. Why don’t you give everybody a clean slate to start doing
things right.
– Good Lord I wonder who is next….I smell Malice on your
part LRA.
Comment by Neo on 1 March 2013:
I agree with tlou. LRA is just missusing power. Every dog has its day Ntja
Comment by Joe Lekau on 1 March 2013:
My worry is that a lot of Sekol emplyees are going to be affected le ha ho le joalo tax has to be paid period
Comment by Manthomeng on 1 March 2013:
Hantle letona la mehleng la lichelete u ikeme ka hore e re basotho ha ba qeta ho mokhetha e be o ba utloisa bohlooko, motho o mpa o ipotsa feela hore na o a utloisisa kapo o ichebile boena feela. ha re so utloe ho thoe eena o a auditor ka khoebe tse ngata tsena ebile e le moparamente o ko ipotse na salary ea hae ea bo paramente e khonne joang ho mo etsetsa khoebo tse kholo hakana empa ho thotsoe, ke nthoena eleng e mong oa ba hanang ha ho kenyoa molao oa ho hlahisa maruo hobane o ruile ka mohlolo. Ha a etsetse Mr Moosa o a iketsetsa re mo joetse. O tla se theoha se maratsoana ka le leng ba tle phethisa eena, bona bana kapo ba tla be ba le siko LRA e tsamaisoa ke bao o sa ba laoleng. Ha ho eo LRA e leng habo ke le joetse le tla tsamaea ha nako e fihla mosebetsi o felile le setse pooaneng.
Comment by Khothometsa on 1 March 2013:
Lesotho Tries or “Times” or whatever, away with your nonsensical and illogical reporting. Is this article a gossip doing rounds? Where are your reporters come from; Limkongkwin? Pls stop trying to do your work. Do it! Your credibility has declined miserably! Sis. Should the public teach you your job? No wonder you hide your name (staff reporter), u failed to execute your duties here.
Comment by lolo on 1 March 2013:
Poor Moosa, i wish he should have stopped fighting for PSFL chairmanship rather focus on his business
and pay LRA…what an embarassment to such a business man
Comment by Magic on 2 March 2013:
@Lolo, I think that you should also sort out the mess of Boliba Cooperative by holding AGM and provides Audit Reports of past four years. Lolo, why did you go Ministry of Education and Training and seek the records of payments starting from 2008 to day with regard to people who cater Primary Schools under school feeding programme?
Comment by Meks on 2 March 2013:
@Lerato,it looks like you have more knowledge about Mr Moosa by virtue of being an employee of LRA. Why is LRA not coming out formally about the affairs of Mr Moosa?
Guys from LRA, you have to be smart in your actions. We are quite aware that employment contracts of some of you are about to expire in the near future. Therefore, you may try to prove a point to your superiors that you deserve to get an extension. This does not need you to be radical. The case of Mr Moosa was not properly handled, so to speak. Your approach is different to what you did to CGM and Jackport. Prove me wrong!
Comment by lerato on 2 March 2013:
@Meks, why the helll should i seek to prove you wrong when you are already wrong.
It is you meks who should point out where the LRA is wrong. All i can tell you, for now, is I dont work for LRA.
You belief that anyone who deos not support Moosa’s theiving is an LRA employee clearly shows me that you are myopic.
You claim that Moosa’s case was not properly handled but you dont clearly show the violations committed.
Which leads me to believe that you probably wrote the post while seating on Moosa’s lap.
It is clear from the way you are fuming without substance that you are a beneficiary of the Moosa.
If Moosa has the money then why doesnt he just settle his tax bill and get on with his life.
I find it shocking that a businessman like him could have his house chairs, fridges and stoves taken because of M4 million.
You must remember that Moosa has already been conviction by his own pleading. He admitted that he is a tax dodger and there is a judgement to that effect.
What then is so wrong about the LRA going after a self-confessed tax dodger?
Comment by Meks on 2 March 2013:
@Meks, you are an employee of LRA and this is not the way to go for while you are looking for promotion. In order for me and others to understand YOU. Tell me how much has Moosa paid so far out of M4million?
Meks, tell me why elements like Lerotholi Pheko (Now PS of Ministry Planning) and Ramakhula left LRA? Answer this question so that I can prove to you with lot of examples that LRA is a corrupt institution whereby others can abuse their powers.
Meks, you should remember that elements like YOU in the top structure at LRA are working on contractual basis and they are in a mercy of politicians to get their contract renewed.
Comment by makatleho on 2 March 2013:
LRA has records that Moosa is paying everymonth for this 4million. Why still locking the factory? Isn’t because Selkol is supplying to Selkol SA. Any furniture businessman behind this? Who is going to pay the supplier and specially the severance of these poor employees who worked more than 10yrs in the company.
Comment by Peka on 2 March 2013:
Honestly, Mr Pule Chere has been agressive on Selkol issue. After the departure of Mr Nthako Sekome, Mr Chere is still acting as Commissioner of Revenue Compliance. Everyone can see that he really wants to be confirmed.
Comment by LRA on 2 March 2013:
@Lerato (Pule Chere), have you told Caswel Tlali that you did receive Interim Court on the 27th February 2013 which is returnable on the 07th March 2013 whereby you ought to justify as to why you and your boss Letjama gave orders of taking property of Selkol unlawfully?
Comment by Mphana on 2 March 2013:
Moosa, why don’t you close SELKOL 1983 and let this confused LRA to sell the stock and equipment so that it could recover its dues.
Thereafter, go and open a similar establishment in Ladybrand whereby South Africans will be employed. All furniture products manufactured there will be exported to Lesotho like other products.
Pule Chere and Thabo Letjama will be happy because Basotho will be losing jobs and taxes.
Comment by Meks on 2 March 2013:
I totally concur with you Mphana that Moosa should open new factories in Ladybrand manufacturing furniture products. Pule Chere, who is so ambitious to be confirmed as Commissioner, is so myopic. He leaked photos to Lesotho Times to humilate Mr Moosa.
With or without SELKOL, Mr Moosa will continue to do business whether you like it or not. Frasers, Moosa Cash and Carry, Building World shall operate whether you like it or not.
Pule Chere, you think that you tarnish the reputation of Mr Moosa by showing a truck loading his property? Shame on YOU!
Pule Chere, when are you going to comply with Interim Court Order moved on 27 February 2013 before Majara J whereby you ought to return the property of Mr Moosa confisticated on the 26 February?
Pule Chere, did you advise Caswel Tlali about this development (Interim Court Order) for Sunday Express?
Comment by Nna on 3 March 2013:
Why is Lesotho Revenue Authority so reluctant to hold Press Conference about SELKOL 1983?
Comment by Thebe on 3 March 2013:
I bet that LRA will never ever hold Press Conference about Selkol in near future. Instead LRA (through elements like Pule Chere) will continue with the coward behaviour of leaking information to Staff Reporter (Caswel Tlali).
I challenge Thabo Letjama to hold Press Conference and inform Basotho nation about SELKOL this coming week.
Comment by Nna on 3 March 2013:
A team of SELKOL is ready with facts. Start first LRA to inform Basotho nation about the whole saga so that SELKOL can defend itself.
Comment by Nna on 3 March 2013:
One can cite one example to prove that Pule Chere is really misleading Staff Reporter (Caswel Tlali) and his boss Thabo Letjama.
“….From his house the officers attached two expensive vehicles, a Mercedes Benz and a Ford Ranger truck…”
What are the registration numbers of those two expensive vehicles?
Comment by Peter on 3 March 2013:
Hela LRA officers, who is Pule Chere? Please tell us about him. I never followed the LRA Vs Selkol saga from the following, it looks like the role of Pule Chere did not go well to others.
Comment by Baby on 3 March 2013:
Pule Chere ke sephaphi se seng tjena seo itseng ha se fihla ka ofising tsa Selkol Trading ka laboraro la 26/02/2013 e be o laela hore basebetsi ba Selkol 1983 ba lokolloe hobane o laetsoe ke Thabo Letjama ho tlo koala FEME eo ka Distress Order e seng Court Order.
Hona tsatsing leo e be liofisiri tsa tsireletso tsa LRA le LMPS li hlokofatsa Security Guard lapeng ha Mr Moosa hobane feela Thabo Letjama a ngotsoe Distress Order eo a reng ho nkuoe thepa ea lapeng ha Mr Moosa. Nyeoe ea ASSAULT e bile butsoe mapoleseng.
Nahana feela hore na ha feme e koaloa letsatsi pele khoeli e feela hore na mekholo ea basebetsi ho thoe e tle e sebetsoe joang. Joale Pule Chere o bua feela ka bonolo hore feme e koaloe basebetsi ba e hae hobane o laetsoe joalo. Le teng ha hothoe etsa taba e na ka mongolo ea hore basebetsi ba tebeloe, joale o bona motho a cha nt’si.
Nalane eona e tla lula e le teng hore basebetsi ba SELKOL 1983 ba ile ba felloa ke mosebetsi hobane feela LRA e ne e potlaketse hore koranta ea Lesotho Times e fumane litaba ka laboraro e tsebe ho tlotlolla Moosa ka labone.
Joale bo-Pule Chere le oa mphato ba fumane meputso ea bona ea February 2013, ba ea ja ha monate le malapa a bona. Haba nahanele basebetsi bao ba molimo ba SELKOL 1983 hore na ba phele joang le malapa a bona. Hobane feela ba khahlisa Mpho Malie le Tim Thahane.
Comment by tax evader on 3 March 2013:
I so think this kind’a issues should be taken into big consideration coz almost evry business in Lesotho is somehow evading tax and other are even assisted by LRA!!! once it reach its financial target they stop dong their job, they are not consistnet! hona tjena ba sebelisa matla eseng kelello!!! @Baby. what you are saying is very right… LRA now has to cater for all the SELKOL workers. since they are the one who siezed thier jobs!
Comment by Mosotho on 3 March 2013:
There is no dispute that Lesotho Revenue Authority must discharge its mandate without fear and favour.
My concern is when LRA’s acts are seen to be influenced by certain individuals. Clearly, approach towards SELKOL by LRA does make one to raise hir or her eyebrows.
Looking from distance, it looks like there is an attitude of fixing others. LRA should strive by all means to correct this kind of approach.
I fail to understand as to why LRA is not issuing formal press release with the purpose of informing members of general public about its acts towards SELKOL.
My observation is that Moosa Group consists of different companies and Selkol 1983 is one of them. By closing Selkol 1983 is not supposed be seen as if it is to humuliate Mr Osman Moosa. One fails to understand as to why LRA has confisticated his property to matter related SELKOL!
I am really confused even now about the acts LRA in this regard. I am reliably informed that LRA had been served with Interim Court Order on the 27 February 2013 by Selkol, but LRA has not complied with that interim court order to date. If LRA does not respect orders of Court, what should happen?
One can conclude that there is an element of personalities in the whole saga of LRA Vs Selkol. Now the question is who will laugh last?
Comment by mr chinese on 3 March 2013:
is LRA good for the nation?
does Lesotho economic environment fit for a tax system which its employing right now?
who is auditing LRA? is
the system efficient?
we always hear how much it has collected, but how much does it take to run? and the money? where does it head to? proper audit?
LRA has become a tool for many unqaulified staff to take the power into its own hand and corruption in LRA is almost at 100%, which means everyone in LRA from top to bottom have taken money from business people privately. but not even one LRA member have being prosecuted and jailed in the last 10 years.
thats a fact
Comment by Police on 3 March 2013:
How comes that Mr Malie can be behind this plot? I have thought that LRA is an independent body.
Comment by Watchdog on 3 March 2013:
Is there any body who can tell me where is Nthako sekome?
Comment by Pelele on 3 March 2013:
Nthako Sekome is no longer working for Lesotho Revenue Authority. Hence, Pule Chere is still acting in that position which is used to be held by Mr Sekome.
Comment by Lekula on 3 March 2013:
@Lerato, “….Isnt it embrassing that Moosa, a tax evader, is now employing some relatives and bootlickers to fight his case through a newspaper website…”
I don’t think that Mr Osman is fighting his case through a newspaper webite. One can see that LRA is playing dirty tricks of scandalising Mr Osman through LRA. How comes that Lesotho Times was the only newspaper which had the photos showing a truck loading some of properties from Mr Osman’s residence, yet there was no reporter then.
Lerato, it is an open secret that Mpho Malie is behind the downfall of Mr Osman Moosa and he cannot succeed. Let’s wait and see.
Elements like Pule Chere and Thabo Letjama are just tools who are in the mercy of politicians in ensuring that their contracts should be renewed.
Comment by Advice on 3 March 2013:
If Lesotho Times is reporting without fear and favour, we want to see facts in the next issue. Lesotho Times has a plenty of time to get views of Mr Moosa. Office of Selkol is always open during working hours. Lesotho Times is at liberty to set an appointment to meet Mr Moosa.
It is not true that Lesotho Times did make an attempt to get views of Mr Moosa in relation to this artile. Why did the Staff Reporter prefer to call him telephonically? At the same time, Staff Reporter was able to take pictures at Moosa’s residence whereby truck was loading some household items. Really, there is something fishy between LRA and Lesotho Times about SELKOL saga.
On the other side, LRA is reluctant to come out formally by holding a Press Conference or issuing Press Release to inform members of general public. Instead some LRA officers kept on leaking information to Lesotho Times and WHY Lesotho Times only?
Lesotho Revenue Authority is one of the important statutory bodies in this country. It should be seen conducting its affairs professionally so that members of general public could not have doubts in its operations.
Comment by Concerned Tax Payer on 4 March 2013:
Shall we expect to see CGM being closed like SELKOL 1983 by Lesotho Revenue Authority? Or one would say CGM has employed many employees as compared to SELKOL. Therefore, CGM shall be given chance to pay its dues gradually in order to save lot of jobs.
The time has come for LRA to account for its acts before Parliamentary Portfolio Committees such as Public Accounts Committee and Economic Cluster.
ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY
Comment by Mosotho on 4 March 2013:
Mosotho oa khale o re:”Matla senyekhe-nyekhe a taha le ho feta joala ba sekhooa”. Boitsoaro ba Mohlomphehi Pule Chere ke mohlala oa motho ea tahiloeng ke matla.
Comment by Sello on 5 March 2013:
“Ho teng karolo molaong oa tsamaiso oa LRA o hlakileng hore litaba tsa mokhafi ke lekunutu. Ka hona, ke bomali-mabe hore e-be nka se re letho holima litaba tsa Ntate Moosa,” a rialo Mphana.
Har’a lipotso tse Mosotho e neng e hloka tlhakisetso ho tsona ke hore na Moosa o ne a kile a patala LRA lethonyana ho tloha ka Pulungoana 2011 ho isa ka Hlakola 2012 joalokaha lekhotla le ne le mo laetse joalo.
Potso e ’ngoe e ne e le ho fumana ho tsoa ho LRA hore na e ne e fuoe tummello ke lekhotla ho phahlela Moosa le hore lithepa tse hapiloeng ke tsa boleng bo bokae.
“Ho nka ho bolelang feela, ke hore re kile ra ba le nyeoe khahlanong le eena nakong ea ho feta. Eo taba ke bua ka eona hoba e bile ka makhotleng, ’me ea fetoha taba ea sechaba,” ke Mphana eo.
Molao o ntlafalitsoeng oa Thibelo ea Bobolu le Litšito tsa Moruo oa 2006, o hlalosa ha motho ea o tlotseng a ka ahloloa a ba a phethisoa ka holimo ho kahlolo eo.
Khaolo ea 24 ea molao e hlalosa hore; ha motho a ahloletsoe bobolu kapa bomene-mene bo entsoeng pokellong ea lichelete tsa sechaba ka holimo ho kahlolo ea e fuoang a ka boela a phethisoa thepa ea hae kapa e boikarabellong ba hae ha bochochisi bo etsa kopo e joalo.Bona: http://mosotho.co.ls/?p=641
Ho ea ka Mohlomphehi Mphana, re tla lebella ho bana LRA e ilo koala CGM haufinyane, ho sa tsotellehe mesebetsi e lahlehang.
Comment by Meks on 5 March 2013:
It’s gonna be a great TEST for Lesotho Revenue Authority to explain to Basotho nation about its approach against SELKOL 1983 and CGM.
Clearly, the approach against SELKOL 1983 was extremely harsh. If not, why couldn’t we see LRA closing CGM?
One can apply a common sense in the case of CGM that LRA ought to find a way of recovering unpaid taxes in instalments in order to save lot of jobs. Why the same thinking is not applying in the case of SELKOL 1983?
By the way SELKOL has been paying LRA around M80,000.00 every month and LRA cannot dispute that fact.
Leaking information to Lesotho Times was merely to humilate Mr Moosa. Management of Lesotho Times must be extra careful about its reporting, otherwise it will find itself in big mess.
Comment by Concerned Tax Payer on 5 March 2013:
Thabo Letjama and Pule Chere must appear before Public Accounts Committee and account for their acts.
Comment by Mohokare on 5 March 2013:
“..From his house the officers attached two expensive vehicles, a Mercedes Benz and a Ford Ranger truck..”, says Lesotho Times.
A straight forward question to the Editor of Lesotho Times, can you prove in Court of Law the registration numbers and features of the Mercedes Benz and Ford Ranger truck attached by LRA officers?
To the readers, there are no vehicles attached by LRA officers as allegedly publicised by Lesotho Times. You see Mr Editor that your sources will put your newspaper in hot soup.
As a piece of an advice, put the straight record and apologise in the next!
Comment by Moshe on 5 March 2013:
Having read the comments, it is evident that there is something fishy about the reporting of MOOSA saga by Lesotho Times. I always trust the reportings of Lesotho Times, but this time onwards I will have lot of questions if ever it is true that there are some flaws in this article.
Comment by Pule on 5 March 2013:
@moshe, there are not “some” flaws, but the entire article is flawed. Lesotho Times is just a mouth piece for LRA. And that is the precise reason why LRA does not hold any press conference. Why should they, when they (LRA) have the press (LESTIMES) to do the dirty tabloid, sleazy reporting.
I was driving by SELKOL and saw one of the employees of LRA unloading lunch packetS (not 1 but MANY) packets of food from spur for lunch. I asked one of my friends working at Selkol, and she told me that the “so called” inspectors from LRA have been feasting on Calitos, Spurs, Ocean basket everyday for lunch. Let us bear in mind that it is our hard-earned money that we pay as taxes that is being used here. I would really like to know who audits LRA? I am pretty sure that their expenses would be predominantly on telephone bills, food, food, food, and fuel.
It is very disheartening to see such kinds of atrocities being carried out just because one has the power to do so.
Re-iterating @Concerned Tax Payer: “ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY”
The Editor of Lesotho Times (or as i prefer to call it “”Lie”sotho Times”) was finally mustered the courage to comment with the article “Web comments were in bad taste” several months after the comments were posted. I just hope that Lesotho Times can muster the courage once again to come clean and report news and facts as they are, instead of contorting the truth.
I am saddened while thinking of the hundreds of people working in Selkol whose jobs are at stake.
Comment by Lekula on 6 March 2013:
Staff Reporter, I hope that you have made your assignment this week of getting the views of all parties involved in order to balance your article.
Mr Osman Moosa has always been in his office at SELKOL as from Monday until now. We are not expecting to hear excuses that he could not be accessed.
Comment by Meks on 6 March 2013:
LRA inspectors, who are fully engaged to count stock at SELKOL this week, can really confirm the availability of Mr Moosa.Honestly, I also want see balanced story of Lesotho Times.
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