The director of passport services at Lesotho’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Mpiko Rafono, and the acting Commissioner of Refugees Nthatisi Thabane appeared in the Maseru Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday on fraud charges. Photo: Sechaba Mokhethi

The director of passport services at Lesotho’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Mpiko Rafono, and the acting commissioner of refugees, Nthatisi Thabane, have been charged with fraud, attempted fraud, and abuse of power for allegedly unlawfully issuing refugee documents to immigrants.

The two first appeared in the Maseru Magistrates’ Court on 27 January. On Tuesday they returned to court, where Asumani Saleh, an alleged beneficiary of the fraud, was added as a third accused.

According to the charge sheet, Rafono and Thabane acted in concert in 2024 and up to July 2025 to unlawfully and intentionally abuse the authority of their offices.

The state alleges the pair issued asylum seeker and refugee certificates by giving false information to the National Identity and Civil Registry that resulted in unlawful entries in the population register and illegal issuing of identity documents.

They are further accused of signing and submitting minutes of the Refugee Status Determination Committee to the minister for approval in violation of the law and in dereliction of their official duties. The prosecution alleges this was done to obtain an advantage for themselves or for others.

Saleh faces a separate charge under the Refugee Act for allegedly refusing to present his identity document when requested to do so by police.

All three accused were granted bail of M5,000 each. The matter was postponed for further proceedings.

In a statement, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service said the Special Investigations Unit received a report in June 2025 alleging suspected corruption within the ministry’s offices.

Police said investigations led to the offices of the director of passport services and the head of refugee document control and issuance.

The police assured the public that they are committed to tackling criminal conduct and ensuring that those involved are brought before the courts.

The police also warned public officers against abusing their powers, saying such conduct undermines service delivery and tarnishes the reputation of government ministries.

Published originally on GroundUp .