The impact of corruption and money laundering on good governance and development
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Date
2025-06-06
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National University of Lesotho
Abstract
esotho is currently grappling with a global crisis of corruption and money laundering. These
economic offences undermine the principles of effective governance and national
development. They are dynamic phenomena, and their trends vary depending on various
factors, including a state's cultural practices, political, economic, and social circumstances,
legal frameworks in place, and the availability of responsible institutions and enforcement
techniques. Lesotho has legal frameworks in place to prevent corruption and money laundering
and has ratified international and regional treaties to curb these economic offences. Despite
these initiatives, criminals still find a way to gain from criminal activities. The current legal
frameworks leave unexplained wealth out of their asset recovery mechanisms, creating a gap.
This research aims to identify gaps and challenges with the current legal frameworks and
investigates the impact of international and regional instruments ratified by Lesotho to curb
these serious economic offences. The research recommends the enactment of the Unexplained
Wealth Act, which will complement existing laws by authorising the forfeiture of properties
and assets acquired through unexplained channels. The study also recommends that special
courts be created for efficient and effective delivery of justice.
The methodology used in this study is entirely desktop-based, utilising both primary and
secondary data. A comparative study will be conducted with the United Kingdom, a developed
country that has legal frameworks like Lesotho, to draw best practices for the betterment of
Lesotho.
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Keywords
Corruption, money laundering, good governance, development, and legal frameworks.