IMPREGILO FINED FOR ATTEMPTING TO DEFEAT COURSE OF JUSTICE
	The High Court of Lesotho has, last Monday fined Impresit Girola Lodigiani (Impregilo) an amount of M15 million after finding the company guilty of defeating the course of justice. The fine was delivered after the defence counsel Advocate Danie Dorfliny tendered a plea of guilt on behalf of the company, which was represented by Mr. Suen Laurencik. Advocate Dorfliny said the plea is tendered against the background that the accused, as a successor in law of Old Impregilo foresaw and reconciled itself with the fact that its failure to bring the full facts of the Old Impregilo's activities to the knowledge of the Lesotho prosecuting authorities may constitute the offence of attempting to defeat the course of justice. The background of the case is that on December 14, 1990 the Lesotho Highlands Water Development Authority (LHDA) and the Highlands Water Venture (HWV) concluded a written agreement whereof of LHDA awarded the contract for the construction of the Katse Dam to the HWV. Impregilo was then the leader of the HWV, since HWV was a consortium of companies. Subsequent to the award, LHDA contract payments were made by the HWV to Mr Jacobus Michiel du Plooy, who in turn made the payments to Mr Masupha Sole, the then Chief Executive of the LHDA. Mr. du Plooy paid the sum of M750 000.00 on October 07 1991; the sum of M750 000.00 on March 10, 1992 and the sum of M750 000.00 on September 18, 1992. On the evidence of du Plooy, the aforesaid payments were bribes paid to Sole in order to persuade him to bring his influence to ensure that the contract is given to HWV. The case was before justice Thamsanqa Nomncongo and the crown was represented by Advocates Guido Penzhorn and Hjalmar Woker, while the defence counsel was Advocate Danie Dorfliny.
	Source: LENA